Only the Just Survive
by fems
Summary: Jack made a promise and to keep it, he and Hammond set a plan in motion to track down the Rogue NID operatives. Elsewhere, Sam and Bra'tac continue to go from planet to planet, attempting to shift the balance of power in the galaxy along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Only the Just Survive  
 **Sequel to** : Only the Fit Survive  
 **Category:** AU, Drama, Adventure, Friendship

 **Season:** 3  
 **Spoilers/References** : Fair Game (3x03); Point of View (3x06); Rules of Engagement (3x09); Forever In A Day (3x10); Pretense (3x15); Shades of Grey (3x18)  
 **Pairing:** S/J

 **Summary:** Jack made a promise and to keep it, he and Hammond set a plan in motion to track down the Rogue NID operatives. Elsewhere, Sam and Bra'tac continue to go from planet to planet, attempting to shift the balance of power in the galaxy along the way.  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Warnings:** language

 **Disclaimer:** see profile  
 **A/N:** Many thanks to A Karswyll for the gorgeous artwork she created (I have wallpaper versions in case anyone's interested). The awesome Amara D'Angeli has been my beta for this fic, but any mistakes are my own. I always appreciate feedback and/or constructive criticism or just a comment to let me know why you (don't) like it.

* * *

 **Stargate Command  
** **Colorado Springs, CO  
** **January 8, 1999**

Doctor Fraiser jotted something down on the chart, before giving Colonel Jack O'Neill her full attention. "Well, it looks like the wound is healing nicely, Colonel."

"Took long enough," Jack groused, fingers sliding over the marred skin at the back of his neck.

"Considering the damage the Goa'uld could have done, I think we should all be grateful for the outcome, Sir."

"Yeah, sure."

The CMO rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you managed to pull it out before it got itself any deeper."

"Yeah, I just reacted." Jack nodded, sticking to the cover story he and Hammond had devised. Aside from SG-1, no one on the planet with the fake SGC facility knew Sam had been instrumental in saving his ass. He'd made sure of that, not even introducing her to the other SGC members around or mentioning her name in his report. Hammond had agreed to keep Sam's presence on that planet quiet, at least until they had figured out with and for whom Grieves was working.

"Mhmm," Fraiser said, eyeing him askance. "I'd say you're in good enough physical shape to return to active duty."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Just try not to get injured again so soon, Sir. My staff would like a break from you."

He smirked, throwing her a sloppy salute. "The feeling is mutual, Doc."

She looked at him indulgently, the same way he'd often seen her look at Cassie. "I'll pass that along."

"So, I'm free to go?"

"You were never restricted in the first place," she said dryly. "But yes, you can go. Just don't forget the psych eval with Doctor MacKenzie."

He made a face. "Aw, Doc-"

"I can only clear you physically, Sir. You know this is SOP after what you went through. Without his okay, you won't be going through the gate again anytime soon."

"Fine," he muttered. "I don't know why, since I was never snaked in the first place, but fine. I'll go."

"I believe you were the one who insisted on more thorough screenings, Sir," Fraiser said dryly.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Obviously I wasn't referring to myself."

"You'd prefer preferential treatment, Colonel?"

"Well, I _am_ the base's second in command…"

She rolled her eyes again as his voice trailed off. "Speaking of which, I shall pass my recommendation onto General Hammond."

Jack blinked as she turned around and headed for her office. Had she just dismissed him? That little Napoleonic power monger… "You do that, Doc," he said to her retreating form. "I'll just go see the man himself."

He huffed when she didn't bother to reply and turned around, making his way down to Hammond's office. They had things to discuss, after all. The most important thing being Sam's return to Earth and how they were going to find out who was behind Grieves' actions. It was doubtful the guy worked alone, especially in light of the company he kept in Utah, but they had no idea if he had a person on the inside of the SGC. If there was no mole or contact or whatever at the SGC, then how could Grieves and his team obtain advanced alien technology?

"Hey Jack!"

Train of thought interrupted, Jack looked up to see his friend heading his way. "Daniel."

"Did you just come from the infirmary?"

"Yeah, had to get my neck checked out," he replied, grimacing. Scars in itself weren't an issue for him, which was fortunate considering he had a lot of them, but the thought of the snake coming so close... a shudder ran down his back. He could still hear the screeching when he was lying awake at night.

Daniel automatically peered at the spot he mentioned, eyebrows raised. "Looks like it's almost healed."

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson."

He smiled sheepishly at the sarcasm. "Did Janet clear you?"

"Yup."

"And MacKenzie?"

Jack made a face at the second reminder of the shrink. "… not yet."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "You haven't gone to see him yet, have you?"

"I believe that falls under doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Only if you're actually a patient of his."

"Right. Then, no."

"Jack…"

He sighed and glanced at his friend. "Look, I know you probably enjoy your sessions with that quack, but I don't need to talk to him because I don't have any problems."

"Hathor almost implanted you with a Goa'uld."

"Gee, thanks for the reminder, Daniel. I'd almost forgotten."

Daniel turned to him when they stopped at the elevator. "That doesn't affect you at all?"

"Nope."

"Not even after seeing Skaara… and Sam? If it hadn't been for her, you would've-"

Jack held up his hand, interrupting him, "Ack! Let's keep that to ourselves for now, okay?" The moment he ran into Kershaw and Daniel in the Goa'uld compound he'd been so relieved – both at being snakeless and finding Sam – that he'd sort of blurted it out. He hadn't had time to think it through. Besides, Daniel counted her as a friend and might have recognized her from his visit to the alternate reality.

"Um, why?"

He trusted SG-1, he really did, but there were ears everywhere in the SGC and there was no telling if anyone on base was working with Grieves. "Because," he said, after a moment of thinking, "we don't want to get anyone's hopes up when she can't return yet."

Daniel frowned. "Like, who?"

"Er, her dad," Jack said. "He's a two-star general and has been snooping around, trying to find out what happened to her. If someone accidentally lets it slip and he learns about it, then the shit will really hit the fan."

"Okay," Daniel said slowly.

He nodded and stepped into the car when the elevator doors opened. "Good. Just don't mention her presence on Hathor's planet to anyone."

"For now?" He asked, looking at him with furrowed brow.

"Sure."

"Jack…"

Jack rolled his eyes and hit the button for level twenty-seven. "Just do as I say, okay? Hammond and I talked this through and that's what we're gonna do."

"Okay. So, where are you going?"

"Not to see MacKenzie, if that's what you're asking," he said dryly. "Gotta see Hammond."

Daniel looked at him curiously, before he hit the button for the science department. "Oh?"

"Just some command stuff," he lied.

"You're going to try to get out of seeing Doctor MacKenzie, aren't you? Look Jack, I know you don't like to talk to him, but this could really help-"

"You're right," Jack said, interrupting him. "I'm gonna try to get out of seeing the shrink."

"The General won't let you."

He shrugged, grateful for the excuse provided. "We'll see."

Daniel didn't say anything else until the elevator stopped at level twenty-seven. "Are we still having lunch at the commissary?"

Jack checked his watch and nodded, "Yup. I'll make sure T comes to pick you up because I know you'll get lost in something _fascinating_."

"Okay. See you then."

"See ya," he said, before stepping out into the corridor.

The trip to Hammond's office didn't take long and a minute or two later, Jack knocked on his CO's door.

"Enter."

Jack opened the door and peeked inside. "Got time for me, Sir?"

Hammond looked up from the papers on his desk. "I already got a call from Doctor Fraiser about your checkup, but I can't put SG-1 back on the mission roster until you've been cleared by Doctor MacKenzie, son."

"Yeah, about that, Sir…"

"Colonel?"

Jack opened the door fully and stepped into the office. "I was wondering-"

"I can't make an exception for you, Jack."

"I know," he said, "and that's not why I'm here."

The General leaned back in his chair and looked at him expectantly. "Does this have anything to do with Captain Carter?"

Jack knew he shouldn't be surprised because Hammond was a lot shrewder than he liked to let on, but he was still impressed. "Actually, it does."

"Well then, take a seat and let's hear it, Colonel."

"Sir," he said, as he plopped in a chair, "we know that Grieves and his goons in Utah are working for someone high up. Someone with access to the second stargate."

Hammond nodded, "Very high civilian levels, if Colonel Maybourne is to be believed. Most likely NID."

"Or some offshoot, a rogue operation perhaps."

"You think they were behind Colonel Grieves' actions towards Captain Carter?"

Jack pursed his lips, mind going back to his brief meeting with Sam. "No, I don't think anyone gave him orders to shoot her. Bra'tac told us she witnessed Grieves taking the alien device on P3X-425, so Grieves probably improvised when he realized he was caught red-handed."

"The Captain didn't elaborate on this when you spoke to her?"

"No, there wasn't much time. The gate was still open and I didn't want anyone to start asking questions."

"Colonel Makepeace was under the impression you were talking to Master Bra'tac," Hammond reminded him.

"Yeah, had to tell him something. But Captain Carter and I spoke only briefly-"

"And you gave her your GDO."

Jack acknowledged his CO's statement with a small nod. He'd already told him; Hammond and Catherine were the only ones in the know about the IDC he'd given Sam. "I couldn't leave her entirely to her own devices, Sir. Not after what Grieves did. Figured the Alpha Site wasn't an option since no one would know her there and she has no way to ID herself."

"You told me, Colonel," Hammond said in an understanding tone. "So, we still don't know anything else about Grieves' motivations."

"Considering he stole the device on P3X-425 and the Touchstone on Madrona, I'd say he's under orders to obtain advanced alien technology."

"The President told me we're under more pressure than ever to bring back technology that can help us in the war against the Goa'uld. That can only come from an organization such as the NID who provide civilian oversight of top secret military operations or the Senate Oversight Committee to which the NID answers."

Jack narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Isn't that Kinsey?"

Hammond shook his head with a small smile. "Senator Kinsey is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, although I have no doubt he's angling for a position on the Oversight Committee."

"So, not Kinsey."

"Perhaps not officially."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if Harry Maybourne is somehow involved."

"That would've guaranteed no one would find out about the 'misplacement' of the second stargate," the General agreed. "But we have no proof of his involvement."

"Not yet, Sir."

"I take it you came to me with an idea, Colonel?"

Making a vague hand gesture, Jack grimaced. "Maybe."

"Is Doctor MacKenzie somehow involved in this idea of yours?"

"Not exactly."

Hammond chuckled softly, before turning serious again. "Tell me, Jack."

"Right now, we have nothing, Sir. Nothing except Carter's story, our suspicions and all of SG-1 witnessing Grieves with the Touchstone. But there's got to be some Rogue NID operation that uses intel from off-world missions of SG teams to find the alien tech they're looking for. How else could they narrow it down from all the planets in the galaxy?"

"You think there's a mole in the SGC," Hammond said, making it sound like a statement rather than a question – and he didn't seem surprised by the conclusion.

"Our reports go straight to the Pentagon via you, Sir. Unless the JCS are leaking information which I find highly doubtful, someone's got to be spilling the beans."

"The reports are also accessible to the Pentagon's Xenophysics's Department in case there is relevant information in them."

Jack hadn't thought of that before and mulled it over for a moment, until he recalled something Catherine had told him a long time ago. "Doesn't Stargate Mission Analysis fall under that department, Sir?"

"That's where Colonel Grieves was stationed before he came to the SGC and where Colonel Samuels is assigned these days," the General said slowly, realization dawning on his face.

"And Samuels is a fan of Kinsey's, if I recall correctly."

Hammond let out a deep sigh as he processed the new information, "That still doesn't remove the possibility of a mole in the SGC, though."

"No, it doesn't… so, let me infiltrate them, Sir."

"You have a plan?"

"Whoever is in charge, obviously chose Grieves either because of his spec ops past or his new assignment to the SGC. Their missions are hush-hush and they need to be in and out quickly; they could probably use a disillusioned, angry and frustrated retired SG team leader."

General Hammond smiled deviously, catching on. "Someone… like you, perhaps?"

"Yeah. If Maybourne is involved, he'll want someone like me on his team."

"But if Kinsey's involved…"

Jack shrugged, not too concerned. "Kinsey doesn't like me, but he isn't stupid."

"And how do you propose we do this, son?"

"Well, I don't know if you heard, Sir," he said dryly, "but I got snaked three weeks ago and that was quite traumatizing for me. I barely passed my psych eval and am starting to get frustrated with the limitations imposed on me and my team: we can never get the advanced tech we need to defend Earth if we pussyfoot around with those damned uncooperative aliens who call themselves our allies but never give us anything."

Hammond rubbed his chin, still smiling. "Well, son, that sounds like maybe it's time you retire."

"But I don't really want to, I want rid the galaxy of all the Goa'uld and sitting around at home is not really for me."

"That's understandable, considering what they have cost you so far… Kawalsky, Skaara, Sha're, Captain Carter, SG-11, Major Boyd and all the others who've lost their lives while working at the SGC."

"Exactly, Sir."

"Then perhaps it's up to me to force you into retirement," he said. "I understand that is difficult for you to accept-"

"I might act out," Jack supplied. "In the gate room, with lots of folks around to witness it and you'd be forced to reprimand me."

"And then you'd probably walk out," Hammond finished. "I think that could actually work, Jack."

He grinned and sat back, "Let's hope so, Sir."

"It has to be a gradual process, though."

"I know, it'll take time."

"Your team can't know. I'll have to replace you with someone else and their reactions to everything have to be genuine."

Jack made a face but he already knew that would be the case. He just hated the idea of having to lie to them. "Maybourne or whoever won't approach me right away, either."

"No, they will probably observe you first. Make sure the story checks out. That could take weeks in itself."

"And it'll take even longer before I actually 'snap'," he said, using finger quotes.

General Hammond leaned forward, elbows on his desk and dead serious. "Do you think you can handle an undercover operation like that? It'll take months and might not pay off."

"Oh, I'm ready, Sir. And it'll pay off, it has to."

They discussed some more details before Jack left his CO's office and went looking for his team in the commissary. The meeting had run far longer than he'd expected and of course, he'd missed lunch and his team was nowhere in sight. As a matter of fact, it was rather quiet in the commissary and most of the food was gone, too. There wasn't even a piece of cake left.

Jack was already nearing Daniel's lab when he thought to check his watch and realized it was closer to dinner than lunch. Daniel, however, was still hard at work and waved off his apology. It wasn't unusual for a member of SG-1 to miss lunch, after all. If Daniel didn't have his nose in the books and Teal'c wasn't putting the three new SG teams through their paces, Kershaw would be working out or Jack got caught up in his duties as second-in-command of the base.

"It's fine, Jack," Daniel said, not even looking up. "I'm going over the mythology of Hathor, Apophis and Heru'ur. I figure we're going to need all the information we can get now that we know Hathor stole Jaffa from both and they worked well together."

"But Hathor is dead and so are her Jaffa," he reminded him.

"And if the rumors about Klorel's difficulties with keeping the Serpent Guards in line and Heru'ur coming after him are true, then every little bit can help."

Jack shrugged, not really caring. So far, it seemed like the Goa'uld didn't really have elaborate plans other than fighting each other – and that suited him just fine. He'd gladly give them all a hand if SG-1 was in the neighborhood, but right now he was more focused on finding out if there was a mole in the SGC and to infiltrate Grieves' operation. "Okay. Well, have fun. You can tell me all about it on Monday."

"You're leaving?"

He made a face, "Yeah, I've got an errand to run before going home. Are Teal'c and Kershaw still around?"

"Um, I don't know. They said something about going to O'Malley's with SG-2 and -3," he said, smiling. "Teal'c mentioned something about taking advantage of the inebriated people over pool and Christina probably took the opportunity to hang out with Makepeace."

"Okay, well, I'll see them after the weekend then. Don't forget to actually go home this weekend!"

"Oh, ha ha."

Jack smirked and left the lab, heading to the locker room. After exchanging his BDUs for civvies, he went topside and got into his truck. Grabbing his wallet, he retrieved a piece of paper with a Colorado Springs address on it and double-checked it before driving away. He still had a promise to fulfill…

On his way to the apartment building he stopped to pick up some takeout and took the food with him when he went up to the first floor. It took two knocks and more patience than Jack usually possessed until the door was opened and he came face to face with a weary-looking General Jacob Carter.

"Jack! Is there any news about Samantha?"

"Hello Jacob," he replied, holding up the bag of takeout. "Can I come in?"

The General stepped aside and beckoned him in. "It's been almost three months since we spoke, I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

"I figured you hadn't eaten yet, so I brought takeout with me."

"I don't have much of an appetite these days, but take a seat while I get us some drinks."

Jack took the cartons out of the bag and set them on the coffee table, before taking a seat on the indicated sofa. He waited until Jacob returned with two chilled beers. "Last time I told you about our contact setting up a meeting with an informant who claimed to know Sam's whereabouts."

"I take it you've finally met up with him?"

"About a month and a half ago."

Jacob looked peeved at only being told now, but didn't voice it. "Did the intel check out?"

"Yeah, he filled in some of the blanks for us and he gave me a lock of hair-"

"Sam's?"

He nodded and reached for the beer. "I wanted to stop by when the lab confirmed it was hers, but Hammond happened to mention you were visiting your son."

Despite his earlier claims, Jacob opened one of the cartons and put some of the food on one of the plates he'd brought back from the kitchen. "I reached out to Mark after… Sam. Trying to make amends before I go, I suppose. He invited me over to spend the holidays with his family. He and Laura, his wife, have two kids. A baby boy and a three-year-old girl. God, she reminds me of Sam at that age. Not that I was ever around much, the Air Force always came first. But I don't have to tell you that."

"No," Jack said softly, taking a sip of beer. "No, you don't."

"I bet George was relieved I wasn't around. He checks in regularly, making sure I haven't kicked the bucket yet, I guess. I told him this thing's going to go on for months, but he's pretty insistent. Anyway, he keeps telling me it's classified whenever I ask about Sam and I can tell he hates keeping the truth from me."

"The classified nature of the Program complicates things," he affirmed.

Jacob took a few bites of food, murmuring his appreciation. "The chemo robbed me of my appetite," he explained, "but they changed my treatment after Christmas. It wasn't working anymore, so they've put me on something experimental. Guess my appetite is coming back."

"How are you doing?"

"You get me my little girl back," he said, pointing at him with his fork, "and I'll make sure to hang in there. Don't worry about me, worry about Sam. Speaking of which, what's the plan now that you know the informant was right? What have you been up to since then?"

Jack leaned forward, elbows on his thighs and beer bottle dangling between his knees. "I saw her, Jacob."

"You... what?! Where, when?"

"Just before Christmas. We happened to be in the same area, completely by accident. My team was under attack and, well, it all went downhill from there. We were captured and things weren't looking good for me when Sam busted in and saved my ass."

Jacob looked at him intently, waiting for more. When none was forthcoming, he gestured at his neck. "Is that a little souvenir from your mission?"

Jack touched the scar self-consciously and nodded. "Like I said, close call."

"I take it that since you're here, telling me about it, you didn't bring my daughter home with you. What the hell happened? Why did you leave her in that hellhole?"

"We talked about it," he said, bracing himself for the lie he had come up with, "and she understood that she couldn't come back yet-"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Frustrated, Jack ran a hand through his hair. "It means that she went undercover to maintain her safety and stayed behind to complete the mission."

Jacob frowned, looking away. "She's still out there."

"Yeah."

"But she's safe?"

He nodded, "Yeah. She's with the informant who knows the layout of the land and has been at her side this whole time. Look, I know this is hard, but Sam trusts him with her life and she's not coming back until she's completed the mission."

"She's always been stubborn, even as a kid. It's not in her to give up like that, not when there's a chance to finish whatever the hell she's been doing."

"If she'd quit, the past year and a half would have been for nothing."

Jacob sighed, before taking a sip of beer. "That's my girl. How long do you think it'll take her?"

"A couple of months at most," Jack said. "I'm doing my part to help out and the rest is up to her."

"A couple of months… I can do that. Anything for my little girl. You just make sure she gets back here in one piece, Jack O'Neill."

* * *

 **A/N:** That's right, I'm back with a sequel to OtFS! This is the third story in the Survival Series. I just finished writing the final chapter, so I'll be able to keep a steady update schedule and you guys won't have to worry about it never getting finished. As always, I love to hear your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kawawn**  
 **Apophis' domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam peeked out of the tent flap to see Bra'tac talking to some young Jaffa warriors. They were all watching him with a mixture of curiosity, admiration and fear as he told them about false gods. After his initial speech, she'd taken over and told them about how she'd been a host and killed her Goa'uld by going to Cimmeria. She left out the details about how she took over control and didn't mention the pregnancy like she and Bra'tac had discussed. They never said how long ago Sam had been a host or when she got rid of Herit and Herit hadn't been introduced throughout Apophis' domain yet, only to those on the two motherships. So, she went and did her thing, even showcased her use of the hand device. Then she went back to her daughter and Bra'tac continued to answer questions and engage the young men in a discussion about the enslavement of Jaffa and rebelling against the Goa'uld.

It had been two _ȧbṭ_ \- which she'd figured out translated roughly to two months – since she killed Hathor and the timing couldn't have been better. As far as they knew, Apophis had been tortured to death by Sokar, Hathor was gone and Klorel struggled to keep control of his father's domain. The last they'd heard, Heru'ur was determined to get rid of Klorel and take over the last remaining Serpent Guards and all the planets and slaves belonging to Apophis.

The Jaffa on Kawawn had their own community and this was the first time Sam had been pretty much welcomed with open arms. Bra'tac may have renounced the Goa'uld but his golden serpent tattoo and reputation as both a Jaffa Master and First Prime with a hundred years of service still counted for something. The Jaffa accepted him – and by extension Sam and Ife – and listened to what he had to say. It probably helped that he'd been one of the Jaffa Masters who'd trained one of the first generations of Jaffa on Kawawn, all of whom had been killed while in service of Apophis. Their sons had heard the tales about Master Bra'tac and were becoming disillusioned with their God who hadn't shown himself or called on them in years. Klorel had summoned them to help retrieve Apophis from Sokar's clutches but by the time they received the message and got their _alkesh_ ready, Apophis had escaped already – and sought sanctuary on Earth.

They hadn't been aware of that tidbit and Bra'tac took great pleasure in telling everyone how the mighty Apophis had cowardly requested sanctuary from the _Tau'ri_ – and that they'd sent him back to Sokar when the Goa'uld came knocking.

Kawawn was well chosen as their first real attempt to sow the seeds of rebellion among Jaffa.

Bra'tac had initially suggested starting in the _kresh'taa_ camps but Sam had dismissed the idea, knowing they needed the actual warriors and not the outcasts. The banished were easier to reach but they didn't contribute much and there was still an ingrained hierarchy among Jaffa, which could lead to problems with the higher ranked warriors joining a rebellion full of outcasts.

Turning her back on the tent opening, Sam looked over to where her daughter was sitting on the floor and smiled. After lots of practice, Ife could finally sit up on her own and was playing with the ugliest doll Sam had ever seen – a gift from one of the Jaffa on their last planet. It was made from twigs, some kind of rope and a bit of cloth, and it reminded her of a voodoo doll. But Ife enjoyed playing with her and one of the other Kawawnan women had admired it as if it was the best thing she'd ever seen, so Sam let her daughter keep it.

" _Sām_."

She looked up when the woman in question – she forgot her name – called her. "Yes?"

" _U_ _ḥr_ ," she said, handing her a small jar. " _Ṭeb'ti ȧn_."

It took Sam a moment to realize what it meant, but after glancing down at her callused feet, she was grateful for the ointment. She inclined in her head in appreciation and opened the jar. It smelled vaguely like apples. "Perhaps I can apply it before bed tonight."

The Jaffa – Han'na, Sam suddenly recalled – shook her head and gestured at the floor. " _Ȧger_. Now."

"Should I not help prepare the meal?" She couldn't quite believe the words coming out of her mouth; that was not a phrase she would have uttered before she stepped through the stargate and yet she meant it. Her dad would be stunned if he could hear her, after all her railing against traditional female roles.

"No, you, _Tchaȧs_ Bra'tac, and your child are our guests. Sit."

Sam's gaze automatically went back to Ife, who was babbling happily while waving her doll around, and she took a seat on one of the pillows. "My daughter," she corrected, just in case the women had gotten the wrong idea. "She's just mine."

Han'na exchanged looks with another woman, before turning back to her. "One cannot be mistaken with those _khesbet_ eyes."

"They can still turn into a darker color when she's a bit older," she argued weakly. Ife's eyes were still an intense blue but they could change into Jack's dark brown, or perhaps even green. Sam couldn't say if the little girl had her eyes or Jack's, but right now they certainly resembled hers more due to their color.

"Her hair is not golden like yours."

That was stating the obvious, she thought. Her daughter's hair was brown, like Jack's – the way it'd been in DC, she noticed it was grey on Hathor's base – and almost covered her ears already. It was still wispy baby hair, but she doubted it would turn blonde. Perhaps lighten up a bit if they spent more time on sunny planets, but it would remain brown. "Like her father," she said softly.

"Her father?"

"He's no longer with us." Sam had decided that was the best way to field these kinds of questions, as it wouldn't alert Bra'tac to the identity of Ife's father and it would usually make nosy people uncomfortable, because they assumed it meant Jack was dead.

A look of understanding washed over both Jaffa's faces and they nodded slowly, all too familiar with losing their men. "She is a happy child," Han'na said. "You reared her well."

Sam smiled, taking in her bubbly daughter. Soon, Ife would start walking – she had already been making attempts at standing – and would grow tired of being carried all the time. The girl was getting big and heavy too, so a change would do Sam good. But spending more time in communities such as the Kawawnan would give Ife some freedom to explore and perhaps socialize with children her age. Sam had no idea if Jaffa children had playdates or if they stayed with their mother the whole time, but that was something she could find out. So far, she hadn't seen many young children though.

Han'na and the other woman went back to washing fruits and vegetables, presumably for the evening meal, and Sam took off her sandals and started to rub the ointment on the cracked soles of her feet. She'd never been much for pampering but god, she could really use a pedicure right about now. Or just a good foot massage. Granted, it had felt worse when she'd still been pregnant and walked around with extra weight and swollen ankles. Nowadays, there was too much callus for her to feel much of anything, but it was unsightly and felt rough against her legs whenever she sat down to _kel'no'reem_.

She hummed softly as she massaged the ointment into the soles of her feet and kept one eye on her daughter. Ife suddenly looked up and a smile lit up her little face as she caught Sam's gaze. Drool dribbled down the girl's chin and she cooed, before starting to crawl her way. "That's very good, Ife," she said in encouragement. "Come on, you can do it."

Ife smiled and continued to half crawl and half scoot her way over, the tip of her tongue just visible and her little brows furrowed in concentration.

The look of complete focus and determination reminded Sam of an old photograph of hers in the Carter family album and it warmed her heart. Some days, she suspected Ife was all Jack, but then there were moments like these where she could see the resemblance with her younger self. "You're almost there!" She stretched her legs and wiggled her feet, making her daughter giggle. "Come here, sweetie."

It took a whole lot of effort but finally, Ife reached her feet and made a grab for her toes. Sam leaned forward and lifted her into her lap. "Oh, you're getting so big. You don't want to play with your doll anymore? That's okay, Mommy will keep it safe for you," she said, glancing at the abandoned toy lying a few feet away. She'd pick it up later and place it with their things in the tent they'd been offered. "You want to play?"

Ife babbled happily, while playing with the end of Sam's braid.

Sam started a game of peekaboo with her daughter, much to the amusement of the Jaffa women who observed them. Ife couldn't get enough of it, though. It was pretty much her favorite game these days and Sam happily obliged, enjoying the interaction but most of all the giggles it elicited.

However, after a while even Ife got tired of it and they stopped. The Jaffa women were already preparing meat for the evening meal and Sam could hear the low hum of conversation outside the tent, where Bra'tac was presumably still talking to the young warriors. She was just considering taking the baby back to their assigned tent to put her to bed when Ife made it clear she wanted to be fed. Sighing, Sam undid the collar of her robe and barely got the time to push her bra aside before her daughter latched on, gulping greedily.

" _Ȧu nes tai'ten semsu,_ _Sām?"_

She looked up from her nursing daughter at Han'na's question, frowning. It was on the tip of her tongue to point out Ife was barely old enough for her to have given birth to another child, before realizing _semsu_ could also mean firstborn. She took a moment to consider her answer. To the Jaffa, she was probably old to have her first baby and there'd been too many women with children out of wedlock in the _kresh'taa_ camps for it to be a coincidence. "She's my only child. Long ago, I was betrothed," she grimaced at the thought of Jonas Hanson and how ill-fated their engagement had been, "but he was a warrior and not often home. He died before the, er, Rite of Everlasting Union."

"And then you met Ife's father?" Han'na's friend said, speaking for the first time. Her English was better than Han'na's, but she'd appeared shy or perhaps wary of the strangers and never introduced herself.

"Um, yes," she said, hesitantly. "It took some time before we met."

Han'na nodded slowly, a somber expression on her face. "Your child appears well. Strong. You are fortunate with your _sefi_."

" _Tchaȧs_ Bra'tac spoke of your strength, _Sām_ ," the friend said, voice full of admiration. "Your _hi_ must be a strong warrior to be worthy of you. Then Ife came forth. She is strong. Like you both."

Unsure of how to respond, Sam simply smiled and inclined her head in gratitude. She didn't like to mislead people but Bra'tac had warned her that not everyone could be understanding of such a different culture. Besides, what were a few white lies if they kept her daughter safe?

" _Ȧ sa na'nay_ _uteb nekhen't_ ," Han'na said softly, eyes downcast. " _Ki sa k s'tcha m rer. Ȧ semsit nekhen't ȧger na'nay sāḥ prim'ta ḥerā s'tcha er prata."_

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Sam gasped. She'd been worried about Ife surviving off-world and with the way of life she and Bra'tac were forced to adopt, but to lose two sons in infancy and a daughter in puberty – because the priests did not deem her worthy of a _prim'ta_ – was just unimaginable.

" _M_ _akka ukha ska ȧ hi ḥerā makka ȧu sem ȧnā sa._ "

Sam was happy to hear the woman and her husband eventually got a healthy son, after losing three children and suffering a miscarriage. "Is he one of the young Kawawn warriors?"

" _N sa maāmaā khnem tini,_ _Sām,_ _ḥerā Tchaȧs Bra'tac."_

"He wants to join the rebellion?" She was surprised and, while elated, couldn't help but be concerned about Han'na; what if her son died while fighting the Goa'uld? Then she would have no children and her husband had already been killed in a war with Heru'ur years ago, probably when their son was still a child. "It is not without danger…"

Han'na lifted her head defiantly and Sam could see the steel in her eyes. " _Shel kek nem ron_. All of us."

Her friend chimed in, "The false gods have taken too many of our men and children. We will join the rebellion and fight, or die free. _Shel kek nem ron!_ "

"We would be honored to have you," Sam said, smiling.

"Good," Han'na's friend said, smiling. "The food is ready. I will tell the men."

Sam switched Ife to her other breast while Han'na prepared plates and bowls with food for everyone. Soon, everything was set on a counter of sorts and all the Jaffa formed a line to queue up for their share of the food. It was impressive to see how much food the women had prepared for all the Jaffa present. Han'na had told her earlier that day that they only ate meals together when there was some kind of gathering, like the one Bra'tac and Sam had started by showing up and speaking of false gods. Normally, most of the Jaffa would simply eat at their homes with their family and sometimes a widowed neighbor.

At first, Sam had felt a bit guilty for being responsible for all the extra work the women had been given due to their visit. But then Han'na shared that they hadn't feasted since the cycle's harvesting and actually enjoyed the gathering. It was a nice break from their everyday routine and they were pleased to welcome visitors in their community.

It shouldn't come as a surprise considering what Han'na had told her about her children. She probably wasn't the only Jaffa with such a heartbreaking life story and a close-knit community could help them cope. Fill in some of the voids they felt after losing children or brothers, husbands and fathers in one of the many wars between 'Gods'.

As a matter of fact, wasn't that exactly what Bra'tac had been trying to warn Sam about when he learned about her pregnancy? That even if killing Herit wouldn't affect the baby and it would be born healthy, then there were still many risks due to a high infant mortality. Sighing, she looked down at Ife and smiled, still surprised by the overwhelming love she felt for her daughter – and gratitude that she was alive and well, after everything they'd been through.

When Sam looked up again, she saw Bra'tac come towards her with two plates in his hands. She waited until he saw down next to her with a smile aimed at the baby. "You were out there with the men for quite a while after I left. How did it go?"

"It went well," he said, putting the extra plate in front of her. "They were most impressed by your tale and questioned me about how I first learned of your strength and when I decided to defect to follow you."

"You didn't-"

He held up a hand to interrupt her, "I did not reveal when it was you were first implanted, nor did I mention how long ago you killed the parasite within. Do not worry, no one suspects about the child."

She smiled gratefully and gestured at the women, who were still serving food. "I think you may have done better than expected today."

"Why do you believe this to be so?"

"Well, while you were outside talking to the men, I was in here, talking with the women. They were present during the gathering earlier today, when we both spoke. Apparently, we were very convincing. Han'na told me her son wants to join the rebellion… he's her only child and I warned her that it may be dangerous, but she fully supports him. As a matter of fact, I think she and her friend and many more will join as well. _Shel kek nem ron_ , is what they said. All of them, she added."

Bra'tac narrowed his eyes and took in the women. Back when he'd been in the service of Apophis and Klorel he might have said there was no place for the women, but he knew better now. "We will need all the support we can get. They grow their own foods here, which is not something many of Apophis' Jaffa are familiar with or have any experience in. The human slaves are often responsible for husbandry and food is given to the warriors."

Sam agreed and knew she was probably getting ahead of herself, but it felt good to have a goal to work towards. Sitting around and waiting for Jack to contact them after catching whoever was behind Grieves' actions left her with nothing to do, so the prospect of building a rebellion sounded like a good way to keep herself occupied. "If we want to build a serious Rebel movement then we're going to need Jaffa from all walks of life. Some might remain in the service of the Goa'uld like Moac and others can infiltrate the ranks of the System Lords eventually, but we will also need a base of operations. A camp or a community. That requires men and women. Warriors, scribes, cooks, farmers, and so on."

"Indeed."

"We need to be able to feed the warriors, too. There's no rush to find a safe planet for a base of operation and honestly, I don't think we'll need one anytime soon because we'd need to be bigger first. But in the meantime, the Kawawnian warriors can join us and perhaps we can acquire a part of their harvest to feed our rebellion when the time comes."

"I believe you are correct, _Sām_ ," he said, after swallowing a mouthful of food. "Once _sefi_ is done, you must eat."

She nodded and, as if she'd heard it, Ife chose that moment to unlatch and squirm. "Well, I guess that's it." With some effort, she lifted her daughter onto the floor to sit between them and then went about righting her clothes to cover up. Only after she was done, did she reach for the plate he'd brought her and was surprised to see something similar to a burrito on it. It brought back memories of the little Mexican place located between the Pentagon and her apartment, and made her mouth water with anticipation.

Bra'tac chuckled when she made a face after taking a bite. "You do not find it pleasing?"

"No, it's not that…" She paused and swallowed the bite she'd taken. The wrap was filled with sweet fruits and nuts, not the spicy chicken with some vegetables she'd expected. "I was expecting a different kind of flavor," she explained, before trying another bite. "It's not bad. Just… different."

"There is also soup."

Sam knew from the way he said it that the soup probably wasn't to her liking either – not that she was a fussy eater, but some of the combinations the Jaffa ate were just wrong – and if she did want it, she could probably go and get some herself. "No, thank you. This is fine."

Bra'tac smirked knowingly but didn't say anything else. Instead, he picked up Ife, who was trying to climb over his legs to get into his lap. "Perhaps you wish for a taste, _sefi_?" He said, tearing a piece off his second fake burrito and offering it to her. "It is good, yes?"

"I guess she likes it," Sam said, when her daughter simply rolled the food around in her mouth with a happy expression. "I don't think she needs anymore though. I don't want it to come back up or leave her too unsettled to sleep."

"Very well." Bra'tac waited until Ife had swallowed the food and let her lean back against his chest, petting her hair with his free hand. They remained seated like that while he took a bite of his burrito every now and then.

After Sam had finished her meal, she stood and took Ife from him. "I think it's bedtime for her and I might actually lie down, too."

"You had an arduous day."

She was about to protest – after all, she'd been sitting in the tent mostly – when she recalled her little demonstration with the hand device. Using the Goa'uld device always wore her out, even if the immediate effect was temporary. She often felt the need for a nap or an early night after using it or the healing device. "It was. I think I'll sleep soundly tonight."

"There is an _ȧft_ for you in the tent."

"An actual bed?" She questioned, returning his smile. It had been a really long time since she'd slept in a proper bed with normal bedclothes. "Well then, I'm definitely going to bed. I will see you in the morning."

"Sleep well," he said.

Sam took off with Ife on her hip, stopping to pick up the girl's doll and saying goodnight to the Jaffa at the tent's entrance. It was not even ten meters to the tent she and Bra'tac had been assigned and she was grateful for it, as the temperature began to cool. She made a quick latrine stop and reminded Ife to do so as well, both using a verbal reminder and the whistling trick Shan'auc had taught her. Despite Bra'tac's words, Sam was still impressed when she finally entered the tent and saw the bed. It wasn't quite the same as beds on Earth but she could tell the Jaffa who'd arranged it had made work of it. The cover looked similar to linen and felt soft and cool to the touch.

"Ooh," she let out a contented sigh as she ran her fingers over it. "I think," she said, turning to Ife, "that this might actually be your first real bed, sweetie. I'm just going to put you down while I get ready for the night."

Ife babbled happily until she was seated on the bed. Suddenly, she fell silent and started gently rocking herself with a growing smile on her face, as if amazed by the unsteady yet firm and comfortable mattress.

Sam made quick work of washing up and exchanging clothes and picked Ife up from the bed, just as she started to crawl across it for further exploration. "That's not a good idea," she said. "Before you know it you'll fall off the bed and onto the floor."

Ife just blinked up at her until a yawn overtook her.

"Come here." Sam crawled under the covers and laid Ife down next to her, before rolling onto her side. As a child, she used to love being read to and her mother had faithfully read her and Mark bedtime stories from when they were babies until they were six or seven years old and wanted to read the books themselves. It was a tradition Sam liked to have with her own daughter too, but unfortunately she didn't have any books and she couldn't remember all the fairy tales. So, she made up stories. "Once upon a time…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **March 11, 1999**

Jack blinked against the dark spots in his vision when the white light around him receded and he found himself back in the briefing room. There was a flurry of activity and next thing he knew, the SFs raised their weapons at him. "Whoa! Watch where you point those things, will ya?"

General Hammond came storming out of his office, looking relieved. "Colonel O'Neill!"

"That'd be me, Sir," he said sheepishly. "Sorry for ducking out of our meeting earlier, but the Asgard beamed me up."

"Stand down," Hammond said, waving the SFs away. "The Asgard?"

"Well, one, actually. Thor. The one I met when I got all that Ancient crap downloaded into my brain. Not that you'd be able to tell the difference because they all looked alike…"

The General rolled his eyes as he trailed off and gestured him into the office. "Let's discuss this in private."

Jack followed him and waited for his CO to take a seat before he plopped down in the visitor's chair, and started explaining. "Thor said something big was going on in our little galaxy and he wanted to warn us. Apparently, Sam killing Hathor proved we, puny Earthlings, are a threat to the System Lords. Instead of being grateful for getting rid of that sneaky snakehead who planned on overthrowing them, they've now decided we need to be dealt with by attacking us. According to Thor, the System Lords are capable of launching an attack a hundred times more powerful than the one by Apophis and Klorel."

"You believe him, Colonel?"

"Oh yeah, I do."

"What does this Thor expect from us?"

Jack grimaced, thinking back to his conversation with the little alien. He'd hoped Thor had come to offer to wipe out the Goa'uld for them or maybe place a network of super Hammers in their solar system to kill all the snakes when they came near. Unfortunately, that was not the case. "Their fleet isn't available, but Thor offered to negotiate with the Goa'uld to include Earth in their Protected Planets Treaty."

"And what, exactly, does that entail?"

"I'm not _entirely_ sure, Sir."

Hammond huffed and leaned back in his chair, a pensive look on his face. "Why would the Goa'uld agree to the negotiations?"

"They probably fear the Asgard. Can't blame them if Thor's Hammer is any indication. Plus, his ship looked way cooler than a Goa'uld mothership," Jack added. "I mean, he's got that beaming thing going for him and it was much more stre-"

"Colonel," the General interrupted him. "The treaty."

"Right. Well, I assume the Asgard would offer the System Lord something in return. With it being negotiations and all."

"Like what?"

He shrugged, "Not a clue, Sir."

Hammond sighed and glanced at the red phone, no doubt wondering what the hell he was supposed to tell the President. "How confident are we in trusting the Asgard?"

"Well, they helped me out when I went Ancient. Gotta love 'em for that."

"But we know very little about the politics out there. How do we know the Asgard truly have our best interests at heart?"

"Well, I suppose we don't. But if they have any other agenda in mind…" Jack trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks.

"What if the summit fails?"

"Thor said that was pretty much the only option he could offer." Jack made a face and mimicked an explosion with his hands, "If it fails… total annihilation."

Hammond nodded gravely, processing the information and weighing their options. "Are there any demands made on us?"

"Thor didn't really go into specifics about the treaty itself…"

"But?"

Jack winced at the prompt, knowing the General wasn't going to like what he had to say. Hell, he didn't like it! "Well, he did say something about the negotiations."

"What did he say, Colonel?"

"Well, it's SOP for the negotiations to take place on the planet in question…"

Hammond narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Are you telling me we're supposed to welcome a Goa'uld representative here, at the SGC?"

"Three, actually," Jack said. "And Thor wants me to speak on behalf of all the inhabitants of Earth if this thing goes through."

"What?!"

* * *

 **Sarqu**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam suppressed a shiver at the cold temperature and continued combing her hair. The planet they were on was covered by snow and they'd decided to use the caverns they came across as shelter for the night or they wouldn't have made it back to the stargate alive. But the temperature inside the cave they'd chosen wasn't that different from outside. Bra'tac had built a fire near the cave opening to allow enough fresh air in, but only long enough for them to heat a meal and melt enough snow. He didn't want to alert anyone to their presence, especially after darkness fell.

The only illumination in Sam's little alcove came from a few candles and she'd hung her fur coat in its entrance to block the light and give her some privacy while she washed up. The warm water had helped stave off the cold for a while but the effect seemed to have disappeared. Her long and very wet hair probably didn't help matters. Sighing, she continued combing through it, grimacing at the tangles she encountered.

Her gaze went over to where Ife was dozing on the makeshift bed. It wasn't anything more than a pile of clothes and blankets, with their pelts on top. After getting washed and dressed, Ife had toddled off to the bed and crawled under the pelts. She'd dozed off almost immediately and didn't seem to feel the cold while curled up on the bed, so Sam had let her be while she washed herself.

Ife hadn't been fed yet, though. Sam was reluctant to wake her daughter, but her breasts were starting to feel heavy and she knew Ife needed the nutrition because she'd hardly eaten anything throughout the day and was already on the small side.

Sam dropped the comb in her lap and started braiding her hair. Once done, she would _kel'no'reem_ and if Ife was still asleep by then, she'd wake her up for a last feed before bedtime. The Jaffa meditation technique helped clear her head and often allowed her to retrieve memories from Herit or her ancestors. That kind of knowledge could help them to convince the Jaffa to rebel against the Goa'uld and right now, they could use all the help they could get. The Sarquan Jaffa had not reacted well to their campaign and while the majority just walked off – after sharing their thoughts about _shol'va_ – there had been a couple who'd become aggressive and they were the reason Bra'tac, Shen'esm and Sam had fled the city.

Finishing up her braid, she twisted it into a bun at the back of her head and pulled the end through the middle to keep it in place. Unfortunately, she had yet to find the Jaffa equivalent of an elastic band or hairpins. She straightened her back and closed her eyes, regulating her breathing and trying to lower her heart rate. Reaching the deep state of kel'no'reem took time and effort, although she'd gotten better at it lately. It seemed to take longer when she was in unfamiliar surroundings, all too aware of every strange or unexpected sound. Her other senses became more attuned and she could hear Ife's breathing and Bra'tac and Shen'esm on the other side of the cave, sense their symbiotes and Ife's naquadah. The howling wind outside was suddenly very audible and the smell of wet fur penetrated her nostrils. Slowly, she sank deeper into the meditative state and everything disappeared into the background and at the same time she became hyper aware. Taking a deep breath, she focused her thoughts on Herit…

All of a sudden, cold wind brushed by her as the fur coat was moved aside. Sam snapped out of her meditation, grabbed the _zat'nik'tel_ lying next to her and got to her feet, aiming the weapon at the alcove's entrance.

"It is I," Shen'esm said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I apologize for intruding, my Lady. I did not know if you were asleep and did not wish to wake you."

Sam lowered her arm and shook her head, silently berating herself for her overreaction. But then, she still hadn't mastered the calm transition displayed by Bra'tac when his kel'no'teem was interrupted. "It's okay, Shen'esm. You just startled me."

"Again, I apologize, my Lady."

"It's just Sam, remember?" She couldn't hold back a smile when he averted his gaze, obviously uncomfortable by her state of dress. Han'na told them her son had never married but Sam figured Shen'esm had seen a woman in a shift before. "Why did you want to speak to me?"

The Jaffa stepped into the alcove, letting the fur partition fall back to give them a measure of privacy. "Today's gathering did not go well."

The memory of the aggressive Jaffa flashed through her mind. "That's an understatement."

"I feel responsible."

"Oh no, it wasn't your fault, Shen'esm."

"You and Master Bra'tac did well on Kawawn but when I was given a chance to speak today, I failed you both. No one chose to join our cause. You and _sefi_ were nearly harmed," he said, glancing at the sleeping child.

Sam gestured for him to take a seat, which he did after a moment of hesitation. She sat down opposite him, trying to remember all that she'd been taught by her father. "Look, there will always be disappointments in life. That's just the way it goes. Bra'tac and I were very fortunate to find your people so brave and willing to join the rebellion on one of our first campaigns. But it's unrealistic to expect it to go well every time. The Sarquan Jaffa have very different life experiences from the Kawawnans, even though you are both in the service of Apophis."

"But I had been given the task to convince them," Shen'esm argued.

"If you failed, we all failed. You weren't alone out there. Master Bra'tac and I spoke to the crowd before you shared your story. Unfortunately, no one was interested in what we had to say. That's not on you. Such things simply happen. We learn from every encounter, not just the successes but also the setbacks. Perhaps the setbacks even more. Now we know our current strategy doesn't always work and we'll have to adapt. Next time, we'll try to get a better sense of the mindset of the present Jaffa and adjust our story to what they need to be convinced about the false gods."

He finally looked at her again, the shame on his face replaced with determination. "Master Bra'tac spoke of your strength but he did not say how wise you are… _Sām_. There are many things I do not know and I hope you will give me the opportunity to learn from you still."

"Of course," she said. "You were trained to be a foot soldier and it's going to take time to adjust but Master Bra'tac and I both think there is a role for you in the rebellion."

"My mother was correct: you are as kind as you are beautiful."

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Next time, just a 'thank you' will do. It means that you're grateful for something someone said or did."

"Thank you, _Sām_ ," he said.

"You're welcome. Now, go back to Master Bra'tac and ask him what changes need to be made for our next gathering." She had already discussed some of it earlier with Bra'tac and knew the old Jaffa Master would be able to help Shen'ems to change his way of thinking. He'd once started out as a foot soldier too, after all.

After the Jaffa had left, Sam decided against more _kel'no'reem_ as she felt tired. She quietly moved around the alcove to pick up her things and lay out her and Ife's clothing for tomorrow. Hers would be the same as the past two days but Bra'tac had somehow acquired tiny leather socks in the city for her daughter, in lieu of boots. It would keep the baby warm on their trek back to the stargate. Just as she was about to blow out the remaining candles, Ife sat up in bed.

"Mom-ma," she said in a sleepy voice, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm right here, sweetie." Sam left one candle burning and slipped into bed. "Are you hungry?"

Ife nodded slowly, already climbing into her lap.

* * *

 _ **Biliskner**_  
 **Earth's Orbit**  
 **March 19, 1999**

Jack walked over to the 'window' and smiled at the view of Earth. Thor had just finished giving him a quick tour of the Asgard vessel. "So, neat little ship you've got here, buddy."

"My _Biliskner_ is powered by four neutrino ion generators, equipped with powerful defensive shields, transport beam technology, a holographic projections communication system, stasis pods and a sophisticated cloaking device," Thor replied. "It cannot be detected by your satellites or telescopes when we are in your planet's orbit."

"That's… impressive. You know, I've got some leave coming up. I don't suppose I could borrow this baby to cruise the solar system?"

Thor narrowed his large eyes in a very humanlike expression. "You cannot, O'Neill."

He shrugged, "Well, that's too bad."

"Your negotiations with the System Lord representatives went well."

"Um, yeah," he said, at the sudden change of subject. "We won't have to worry about a Goa'uld attack – from the System Lords or a rogue Goa'uld – anytime soon, we get to keep both our stargates and we don't have to stop our technological advances."

"A most fortunate outcome."

"I guess that means you guys – or girls, I suppose – don't have to give them access to the Nile, eh?"

"The passage of Nilor," Thor corrected. "But you are correct. It was a most fortuitous turn of events."

Jack nodded slowly. "Nirrti's actions actually saved us from being forced to give up everything."

"You made the right decision. As I knew you would."

"Oh, hey now. There's no way you could have known what was going to happen when I asked you for advice," he argued.

It almost looked as if Thor shrugged. "We chose you as your people's representative because you have led your people into the galaxy through the Stargate, O'Neill. I knew you had it within you to make the right decision. You are a strong and wise leader with an affinity for Ancient technology and the ability of self-sacrifice. You have great potential."

Jack slipped his hands in his pockets and shifted on his feet in discomfort at the praise. "Ah, well. I just took a page out of your book and bluffed big time. Yu and Nirrti were too busy badgering each other and jumping to conclusions to notice it."

"You saw an opportunity and used their weaknesses against them to save your planet from annihilation or severe limitations that would affect the evolution of your species."

"I guess. If it hadn't been for Cronus backing us and agreeing to let us keep the stargates it wouldn't have happened, though."

"You saved his life when his own kind would not."

Jack shrugged, still not entirely comfortable with saving the life of a snakehead. At least it wasn't Apophis, he thought. Then again, Cronus had been responsible for killing Teal'c's father, so he wasn't much better. "Technically, it was our CMO Doctor Janet Fraiser who did the saving. She's learned a lot over the years from studying Teal'c's symbiote and the little snakes Hathor left behind in our locker room. It probably helped that Cronus' host was human, though. Most of the injuries were to the host and that is kind of her thing, saving human lives."

Thor cocked his head in curiosity. "The Goa'uld are your enemy. They would not have shown you the same… compassion."

"That's what makes us the good guys."

"But your people are still not safe from harm when they travel through the stargate. The System Lords will not show you mercy when they capture you."

"Yeah well, that makes life more interesting," he said.

The Asgard nodded, "You humans are a curious race."

"That we are."

"The Asgard High Council has requested my presence and thus I must take my leave."

Jack held up his hands to stop the little alien from beaming him back to Earth. "Wait! There's something else I'd like to discuss with you."

"The High Council will not approve a request to borrow one of our ships, O'Neill."

"Well, that sucks," he said, "but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Thor waved his hand and suddenly they were beamed away and reappeared on the ship's bridge, where Thor took a seat. "Please, tell me about this matter of great importance."

"Actually, it was more of a question," he said, still blinking against the black spots in his vision. "I know you Asgard have allies and protected planets all over the galaxy and I was wondering if you'd heard anything about the theft of advanced alien technology."

"Why do you inquire about this, O'Neill?"

He hemmed and hawed for a moment, wondering how much he should reveal. Hammond had told him it was up to him to decide because he knew Thor better. They'd trusted Thor with the negotiations of the treaty, so why not divulge the information he had? "Do you know the planet Madrona? The people there, Madronans, have a Touchstone. It's a device-"

"To control their weather," Thor finished. "I am aware of their existence and the device."

"About seven months ago, someone stole it. They said the perpetrators were humans, from Earth. Dressed like our SG teams and with our weapons and everything. Now, obviously, we're not in the business of stealing other people's technology, so we knew that wasn't true. Except when we came back to Earth, our weather was out of whack all over the planet. Eventually, we figured out where the Touchstone was and who'd stolen it. The Madronans were right about it being humans, they just weren't from the SGC."

"Others traveled through your second stargate?"

"Yeah, they ran a tight ship to prevent us from finding out. It's a long story, but we managed to find them and retrieved the Touchstone. Last we heard, the weather on Madrona was back to normal and their crops hadn't been lost. But we couldn't apprehend the perps because they escaped through the stargate and we didn't see the address they dialed."

Thor moved something on his chair and suddenly a large screen sprang to life to Jack's right. There was Asgard writing on it and completely illegible to Jack. "The weather on Madrona is stable."

Jack was impressed. Thor could just look that up? Madrona hadn't been mentioned as a protected planet and the Touchstone didn't look like something he'd associate with Asgard technology, but who knew. "Yeah. That's good to know. But we don't know exactly who was behind it. All we know is that it's probably an offshoot of an organization on Earth called the NID. We suspect it's a larger operation than we know, considering the risk they took with the Touchstone but we don't know what their intentions are, what the objective is and how far they're willing to go to achieve it."

"You wish for the Asgard to assist?"

"I need to know if other tech has been stolen. We don't have that many allies with advanced technology but you must know some. Could you, I don't know, use that gizmo," he gestured at the chair, "and check whether there are any theft reports elsewhere or something?"

"Unfortunately, that is not possible. However, I will discuss your proposal with the Asgard High Council and inquire with our allies about any reported thefts."

Pleased, Jack nodded. "Look, I know you guys have your hands full back in your own galaxy but do you think you could maybe put a rush on it?"

"Are you concerned about a society in particular?"

"No, it's not that… Hammond and I think this whole thing started about a year and a half ago. We'd been running the Program for about six months when one of our new teams went off-world and they came back minus one team member. Their commander said she had tried to steal a piece of alien technology and that the natives alerted Apophis' Jaffa to the presence of the team and she got killed by the Jaffa."

Thor blinked his large eyes slowly, "You believe this female was part of the organization that steals advanced technology from other planets?"

"No! We went back to retrieve her body but didn't find it. All we found was evidence that contradicted her commander's story. Unfortunately, we couldn't prove anything and the guy was simply transferred out. The piece of tech has never been found, though."

"The people on this planet could not reveal what had occurred?"

"Circumstances forced them to flee at the time and since then, the planet's atmosphere and weather conditions have been deemed unsafe for travel."

"I am sorry for the loss of your female, O'Neill. If you know the address of this planet, I will visit it on my way back to my own galaxy."

Jack ran a hand through his hair and started pacing. "Yeah, that'd be great. The woman, however, isn't dead. We found out she'd been taken to Apophis. He made her a host."

"Did she perish on the mothership you destroyed?"

"No, she escaped, actually. She's the woman I told you about, the one who fixed your Hammer on Cimmeria," he said, referring to their first meeting.

"The Asgard High Council sent one of our scientists to examine it and they confirmed it had been damaged. The repair was primitive and would not last long, but it was impressive for a human."

He smiled at the praise he heard in Thor's voice. "The woman, Sam, is also the one who killed Hathor. She got rid of the Goa'uld with your Hammer and has been living off-world since. She happened to be on the same planet when my team arrived at Hathor's compound. Saved my ass from being snaked. But I couldn't take her home with me."

"Why did she remain behind?"

"We don't know who was behind her commander's orders to steal the alien device. All we know is that he was willing to kill her over it. And he was also on the team who stole the Touchstone. It wouldn't be safe to bring her back when she could reveal what really happened on their mission."

"And she is a former host to a Goa'uld."

Jack grimaced and nodded slowly. "Yeah, that too. People might not trust her and whoever's behind the rogue operation would use that mistrust. They might even try to abduct her for interrogations or experimentations. They'll want to know everything she knows about the Goa'uld and they're not the kind of people who will take her word for it if she claims not to know anything. They probably also know about Kendra, the former host who lives on Cimmeria, from our mission reports and would want to know if Sam is also capable of using Goa'uld technology."

"If she is a former host, then she will retain naquadah in her body and blood stream. It will allow her to use certain Goa'uld technology but at a greater cost than a Goa'uld. The blending with the Goa'uld will have ensured this and the manner of killing through the Hammer would change her physiology as her body will have absorbed the dead Goa'uld. Its memories will remain buried in her mind."

"I was afraid of that," he said. "But you see, she can't come home until we've found out who's behind this rogue operation and get them all locked up. It wouldn't be safe for her."

Thor inclined his head, a look of understanding on his alien face. "I see. I will inquire about the theft as soon as I can."

"Thank you."

"It is most unfortunate what has happened to your female, O'Neill. You would turn on your own kind if it means saving her?"

"If they're stealing tech from others then they betray everything we stand for. Their actions could cause a lot of trouble and not just from the ones they steal it from. What if they're not Madronans but actually powerful aliens who will come after Earth because of what they did? We'd have no means to defend ourselves. Those bastards deserve to rot in prison."

"The thought of their actions and the consequences is troubling, indeed."

"Like you said the other day," Jack said, "it's not a perfect galaxy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **April 23, 1999**

General Hammond was waiting for them in the gate room when they exited the wormhole. "Welcome back, SG-1. I take it you had a pleasant stay at Orban?"

"It was great to see the Urrone children playing and learning, General," Daniel said, walking down the ramp.

"Indeed."

Jack nodded, "I made some neat graffiti."

Kershaw followed Daniel and handed her weapons over to an SF. "They didn't remember us, but they weren't vegetables, either. Looks like the Colonel taking Merrin to school transferred the concept to everyone who received her nanites."

"They had a playground and Kalan showed us the classrooms they were setting up as well." Jack unclipped his MP5 and walked down the ramp. "I suggested we might be able to help them out with an educational system. Get some experts in and work out all the details."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Hammond said. "Considering this was just a follow-up visit, there's no need for a debriefing. Colonel, I'd like to have a word, the rest of you are dismissed."

Jack nodded and turned to his team. "Swing by the infirmary for another post-mission checkup before going anywhere else. Wouldn't want one of those little nanites to have caught a ride in one of us."

"Sure," Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "See you later."

He handed his own weapons and gear to an SF before following Hammond up to his office. Their little visit to Orban had reassured him somewhat in regards to the fate of the past-Urrone children, but it was still tough to see Merrin and Tomin like that, with no memory of their earlier visit. If it had been up to him, the children would have never returned to Orban. He'd meant it when he told Kalan they didn't deserve those kids.

"Colonel," the General said as he entered the office. "Take a seat."

Jack plopped down gracelessly and waited. "Sir?"

"I take it your little trip to Orban has reassured you somewhat in regards to the children?"

"I guess."

"Still not convinced?"

He shrugged, "I meant what I said before: the way they treat their children is absurd. Kalan hasn't made any promises about stopping this Urrone business. Just that they'll help educate those kids as far as possible instead of letting them live like vegetables after they sucked their brains out."

"Colonel…"

"You asked, Sir."

Hammond narrowed his eyes at him but eventually looked away, glancing down at the papers in front of him and writing something down. "I'll speak to the Joint Chiefs about the educational assistance for Orban you mentioned. If that's an option, I will be assigning it to another team, though."

"I understand," he said, grimacing.

"Do you, Colonel? Your behavior the past couple of days-"

"Yeah, I know. Enough reasons for a court martial, Sir. I don't regret it, though. Those kids had no childhood and were treated despicably. If I hadn't taken Merrin to Cassie's old school, they'd all be wasting away now just because the Orbanians can't be bothered to put in the effort to learn and gain knowledge like the rest of us."

The General sighed heavily, before rubbing a hand over his bald head. "I believe you made your thoughts about this more than clear the last time we had this conversation. In front of an audience, I might add."

"Maybe Kalan needed to hear it."

"Doctor Jackson was present as well."

Jack frowned, wondering where his CO was going. "I think Daniel's pretty much used to it, Sir."

Hammond suddenly looked pleased with himself, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms, "I thought so too. I'm sure Doctor Jackson feels the same way."

"Sir?"

"I think we can use this week's events and your, er, behavior, as a lead-up to your undercover mission, son."

"Getting snaked, having to negotiate with the System Lords, being let down by the Asgard, the Urrone kids on Orban…" Jack ticked all the events off on his fingers as he mentioned them. "I'd say we've definitely reached the stage of angry and frustrated."

"With SG-1's track record, I'm sure disillusioned will be coming soon," the General said dryly.

"Followed by forced retirement, so I can infiltrate the rogue NID operation."

"I would say that's a sound plan, Colonel."

He smirked, "Yes, Sir. I mean, you already have enough on me for a court martial from this week alone. Enough is enough at some point, right?"

"Exactly. Now, why don't you join your team in the infirmary for your post-mission medical exam."

"Yes, Sir."

Hammond stopped him when he reached the door, "Oh and Colonel? Make sure your mission report reflects your anger and frustration of this mission."

"Of course," he said. "Like that'd be a problem," he muttered to himself as he exited the office to make his way up to the infirmary.

His team had already finished their post-mission checkups and left the infirmary, but he didn't mind. Fraiser did a quick exam and declared him clean and healthy. She'd already done a more thorough exam the first time they'd returned from Orban, so this was more of a precaution than anything else.

After taking some blood samples the Doc dismissed him and Jack went to the locker room to shower and get a clean pair of BDUs.

* * *

 **Rodaca**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

The two suns were high in the sky, raising the temperature to almost unbearable levels. Sam wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and was reminded of the goo she'd applied to her face to protect herself against sunburn. It was a mixture of mud and some minerals Shen'ems had given her. Rubbing mud on her face and hands would have normally made her feel ridiculous, but she was long past caring. Besides, most of the Rodacan Jaffa who were outdoors wore it on their face, too.

Her gaze went to her daughter, who was playing with two Rodacan Jaffa children. Both the boy and the girl looked to be about the same age as Ife and, more importantly, had some primitive toys that fascinated all three of them. It put a smile on Sam's face to see her little girl playing with other children. That was one of the few things she couldn't give her, after all. Taking care of Ife, keeping her safe, stimulating her intellectually, reading to her and loving her were things she could do. Arranging playdates with kids her own age hadn't been possible. Until now, apparently.

The Rodacan Jaffa were very welcoming and after another gathering two days ago, close to a dozen Jaffa had joined them. The others were still contemplating their options or unwilling to desert their God, even though Apophis was dead and Klorel was fighting a losing battle to Heru'ur. There hadn't been any violence, threats or arguments even, and the Rodacans asked them to stay. They hadn't heard much from their Gods as of late and there hadn't been a shipping of food, so they could use all the help they could get.

Sam smiled and took a sip from her waterskin. She'd offered to watch the children while Bra'tac and Shen'ems went hunting with the other Jaffa. Over the past year or so, she'd become quite good at hunting and even skinning animals – her dad always told her there was nothing she couldn't do if she put her mind to it – but she'd rather skip it when temperatures were soaring.

The past year…

God, she couldn't believe it had been that long! But it was hard to deny when the evidence was sitting just a few feet away from her, playing in the sand. Tracking how much time had passed was difficult when they went from planet to planet, but she was pretty sure it had been almost a year in Earth time since Ife was born.

Even longer when Sam stepped through the stargate for the first time. So much had happened since that fateful day. She shuddered at the memory of those first few months. They had been horrific and while the sarcophagus had healed her body, she knew the mental scars would stay with her. That time was behind her, though. These days, she had Ife. And Bra'tac was a solid presence in their lives. Someone they could trust with their lives and who'd done so much for them. Back home, she had Jack who was fighting in her corner and he'd help her make it safe for her – and their daughter – to come home…

The sound of voices pulled her from her train of thought and when she turned around, she saw Bra'tac, Shen'ems and the other men coming her way. Two of the Jaffa were carrying a thick branch with a deer-like animal hanging from it and she could see the large bags others were carrying were full as well, either with other dead animals or perhaps fruit and vegetables.

A few women came from their houses to greet them and Sam watched them. In the short time they'd been here she hadn't learned everyone's names, but she recognized some of the faces. Wives welcoming their husbands, sisters greeting their brothers and admiring whatever it was the men had in their bags and younger boys running up with waterskins for their older brothers. The group went to the building Sam had dubbed city hall in her mind, although there were only a handful of scribes working there. It was where all the food and drinks were stored, processed and divided, though.

One woman came from the building and Sam recognized her as the mother of the little boy playing with Ife. The woman murmured a greeting as she passed her but kept her distance – she was one of the Jaffa not yet convinced to join the rebellion and seemed afraid of Sam after the demonstration with the hand device. Once the woman reached the children, she picked up her son and carried him back to the building, talking to him softly.

Ife and the other girl looked confused for a moment, searching for their friend. But that didn't last long, as Bra'tac, Shen'ems and an unknown Jaffa came their way and the Jaffa girl cooed. Sam suspected the man was her father and watched as he went over to his daughter, who stood up and started toddling towards him. A strange feeling washed over Sam as she watched the father and daughter, wondering if such a bond would be possible for Ife with her father. How long would it take Jack to find out who was behind Grieves' orders? And what if it all worked out but Jack had no interest in being a father? She didn't know him all that well and had no idea if he even liked kids.

" _Sām_ ," Bra'tac greeted, as he came nearer. "Are you well?"

She frowned and looked up at him, looming over her. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"It matters not," he said dismissively. "We brought back food. Plenty for several days."

"I saw the… large animal."

"Smaller ones as well and fruits and herbs. I sent Shen'ems back to help prepare the meat."

Sam watched as he sat down next to her and reached into his own bag to hand her some fruit, including what she'd started calling a pineana – it looked like a banana but tasted like a pineapple and was delicious. "Thank you."

He looked over to where Ife was watching them and beckoned her over. "Come, _sefi_."

"It's okay, Ife."

The little girl got up and toddled towards them, brow furrowed in concentration. She clambered in Bra'tac's lap when she reached them, greeting him with a big smile as she snuggled up to him, " _Sbai_."

"For you," he said, revealing a handful of soft berries.

"Oooh." Ife beamed at him and reached out to pick up one of the berries.

Sam watched the two of them and smiled. Even if Ife didn't have her dad, at least she had Bra'tac. He might deny it, but it was clear to her that the girl had him wrapped around her little finger. Quite a contrast to his initial reaction when Ife had been born… Sighing, she looked away and noticed a lot of people going to city hall. "Do I need to help with the food, too?"

"No, your assistance is not required. They will call for us when the evening meal is ready."

"Oh."

There was a comfortable silence between them as Ife munched on her berries and Sam ate her pineana. She wasn't as hungry as she'd been the past couple of weeks when they'd been going from city to city and planet to planet to turn Apophis' Jaffa, because she'd been sitting around all day. But Sam knew she needed to eat more. It hadn't taken long at all to lose the baby weight after Ife was born – probably because she hadn't gained much to begin with, aside from the actual baby – but lately she felt like maybe she was becoming too skinny. Meals and food in general was more common now compared to when she and Bra'tac had first fled the _ha'tak_ , but they also walked _a lot_. Weeks or maybe even months ago, she'd also started to train with Bra'tac in _lok'nel,_ an ancient form of martial arts. These days, there was little time to practice but she still did it at least once a week. Her food intake remained the same, though.

"What is on your mind, _Sām_?"

"Oh, um, I was thinking that maybe I needed to eat more," she said, surprised that he'd initiated small talk.

"Indeed," Bra'tac agreed. "However, I do not believe that is all."

"Well, it is."

He huffed and wiped Ife's mouth clean from the berry stains. "You were troubled, earlier."

"Oh. I was thinking about home, actually."

"As I suspected."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Bra'tac simply nodded. "You have not spoken of it in quite some time. It took strength for you to stay, when O'Neill and his men left for Earth from Hathor's compound."

"I guess."

"It is so."

She chuckled at his earnest tone, but couldn't help remember that moment on the planet when she'd sent Jack away. God, she'd been drawn to the wormhole. Knowing just a few steps would take her home had been tempting. But she never could have left Ife with Shan'auc and even if the baby had been with her, then it would have been too dangerous to go with Jack. Jack knew it, as did she. And Bra'tac, who'd probably seen her staring at that fluctuating event horizon. "I never would have left Ife."

"But if she had been present, would you have taken your leave to join the _Tau'ri_?"

"No," she said softly. "No, I couldn't. Not when the man responsible for shooting me is still out there and answers to a lot of powerful people who'd probably rather see me dead. Or in a cage, for experimentation if they knew about Herit."

"O'Neill knew this."

"Yes."

Bra'tac nodded sharply and lifted Ife off his lap, before getting up. "He will find those who wish you harm, _Sām_."

"I know, he said so."

"It will take time, but O'Neill will keep his word."

Sam was about to reply when Bra'tac turned and walked off, leaving her to wonder how well he really knew Jack.

* * *

 **Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **April 23, 1999**

Jack took a sip of his coffee, hoping the caffeine would kick in soon. It had been a long day after the ordeal with Merrin and the other Orbanians and then, just when he'd been getting ready for bed at home, he'd been called back into base. Something about unexpected guests was all they could tell him over the unsecure phone line.

An alternate Sam and Kawalsky were not what he'd expected.

Shortly after SG-1 had saved the planet from Apophis' attack, someone higher up finally decided maybe Daniel hadn't hallucinated the whole alternate reality business and another SG team had been sent to retrieve the quantum mirror, as Catherine called it, from P3R-233. It had been stored at Area 51 since then – and Jack could only hope Maybourne or whoever was in charge of the rogue NID crew hadn't played with it in the meantime – and all of a sudden, _Doctor_ Carter and Major Kawalsky came through it from an alternate reality. An alternate alternate reality from the one Daniel had visited, apparently.

God, it was enough to give anyone a headache.

Jack was tired and he just wanted to get some shuteye, but this was one situation he couldn't ignore. By the time he'd been called in, the two alternates had already been transported to the SGC. It was… weird. Being confronted with them, especially without warning.

The alternate Sam Carter's hair was long, just over her shoulder. It had taken him a minute to realize she wasn't his Sam. There was something… vulnerable, in her eyes. Granted, he hadn't spent much time with Sam in DC or on Hathor's planet to really know all of her facial expressions, but during their night together she had been confident and on the planet there was steel in her eyes. Her entire demeanor was different. Plus, her hair had been way longer when she saved his ass from being snaked, although he supposed she could have cut it…

But no, Hammond and Daniel had explained the situation to him and then Doctor Carter and Kawalsky had debriefed all of them on their situation. Their world had been taken over by the Goa'uld and apparently, his alternate self was dead. They didn't know Daniel or Kershaw and their Teal'c never had a change of heart and was the enemy leading Apophis' attack.

He felt grateful all over again for Daniel's persistence about going to the address he'd taken from the first alternate reality.

"Jack!"

He looked up to see Daniel coming his way, carrying his ever-present large thermos cup. "Hey."

"So, I spoke to Doctor Carter and Major Kawalsky just now."

"And?"

Daniel sat down on the opposite chair and took a long sip from his cup before replying, "Well, apparently they knew the Goa'uld were coming for six months, but couldn't find a way to stop them. It's a bit sensitive-"

"Ya think?"

"-but I think they could be real assets for our SGC once they've had time to process everything and realized it wasn't their fault."

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. He thought Daniel of all people would have some moral objections against keeping the two alternates. "We don't really know that, now do we?"

"What?"

"Whose fault it was."

"You think they asked the Goa'uld to attack them and left their stargate open for them?"

"Oh Daniel, better leave the sarcasm up to me," Jack said, sighing. "All I'm saying is that we have no idea who these people are. They might just be telling us what we need to hear."

He frowned. "Do you really think they'd do that? They were pretty convincing, if you ask me. I mean, Doctor Carter certainly seems traumatized and devastated. Kawalsky doesn't like me very much, so I'm not sure what to think of him."

"Well, they _are_ from an alternate reality. If they were the same as our originals – the people we knew, then they wouldn't exist, right? That fork in the road stuff."

"Obviously there's already a difference between the two Sam Carters: the one belonging here is military and the Doctor isn't. And Kawalsky has never been host to a Goa'uld, according to Doctor Fraiser."

"Yeah, see, we already _have_ a Sam Carter."

"I know, but she's been gone a long time and it might take even longer before she returns. If at all. You said she chose to stay with Bra'tac to start a Jaffa rebellion, right? Who knows how long that might take. Maybe she doesn't even want to return to Earth," Daniel said. He paused for a moment, looking pensive. "Can't say that I'd blame her, considering what happened on her mission with Colonel Grieves. He's still out there, doing who knows what and he might want to finish the job if she comes back if he's afraid she can testify against him."

Jack winced at the lie he'd told Daniel – and the rest of his team – about Sam, but it was the only way they could be kept out of the loop on his undercover mission to make their reactions as credible as possible. Hammond agreed. "That's true, but she might not take it well if she hears we've basically replaced her with an alternate of herself."

"I guess we'll see. When do you think the President and Joint Chiefs will reach a decision about her and Kawalsky staying on Earth?"

"Actually," he said, after draining the last of his coffee, "Hammond already got a call a few minutes ago. They're in. I was on my way to tell them."

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to come with you?"

Jack paused and considered it. That might be easier. Then again, there were some questions he wanted to ask this Doctor Carter because he'd gotten the impression she and his alternate were pretty close. "Um, why don't you tell Kawalsky and I'll let Doctor Carter know the good news."

"Sure, I can do that. I hope they're still awake," he added, checking his watch.

"Don't worry about that, Daniel. I doubt they're asleep and even if they are, this is the kind of news that you'd want people to wake you up for," Jack said.

Together, they went to the A3 quarters where the alternate duo were staying. On their way, Jack briefly went over the things Daniel had to tell Kawalsky, but more information would follow for the two alternates over the weekend, once they'd gotten some rest and could think it all through.

Jack knocked on Doctor Carter's door and opened it, not waiting for an answer. He could see her lying on the bed, distressed. Oh crap. He hadn't really thought this through or he'd realized she might be emotional – he wasn't very good at talking about feelings.

"Jack," she breathed softly, moving to sit up. "Please, come in."

"Well, I just came back from Hammond's office and the brass has decided you're in. You and Kawalsky can stay."

Relief washed over her face, "That's good."

"Yeah, I can see you're overjoyed," he said dryly.

Doctor Carter turned away from him, but not before he saw tears spilling down her cheeks. "I just never expected this. It's so… so hard."

Shit. Now he'd gone and done it. Made the poor woman cry. Great job, O'Neill. "Uh, look. I can't even begin to know what you've been through. I know, uh,… I know you've lost a lot."

"I lost you. I watched you die, Jack. Three days ago, trying to defend the mountain. And here you are, alive and safe in this perfect world, and you don't even know me."

"Well, I sort of know you," he said, sitting down beside her.

"I thought… Lieutenant Kershaw said that your Sam was killed off-world on her first mission. How could you possibly know?"

He followed her faze to a wedding photo on her nightstand. Holy crap! "I take it where you're from we were…"

"Married."

Damn!

"This makes you uncomfortable."

"No, no, not at all," he lied. "I just… I get confused."

She looked at him as if she could read him like a book, clearly seeing through his lie. "Just a couple of weeks ago we were celebrating our first anniversary. Then we got the call that the Goa'uld ships had been spotted entering our solar system."

"How did you two meet?"

"It was almost two years ago," she said, a nostalgic smile on her face. "I was working at the Pentagon as a civilian contractor and Jack was in DC to brief the President and Joint Chiefs about the Hathor invasion at the SGA. Of course, he didn't tell me that at the time."

"Of course."

"We started talking and I challenged him to a game of pool. It's just physics, so I've always been very good at the it but he wasn't bad either. We had fun. I don't even remember how many games we played, but we flirted and got to know each other a little bit…"

Jack took a deep breath as her voice trailed off and she stared at the wedding picture. That story sounded damn familiar. "And you went back to his hotel room with him," he suggested.

Her head whipped around and she looked at him with wide eyes. "How did you…?"

"Lucky guess."

"Because you think I'd go to a hotel room with you just hours after meeting you?"

He winced at the accusation in her tone, although he wasn't entirely sure why she was mad at him. She just admitted it was true! "No," he said slowly, "because I met my Sam in this bar and grill in DC about two years ago."

"Holy Hannah! You slept with her?"

"Yeah, she stayed the night. But I had to go back to Colorado in the morning and she left. Turns out she got reassigned overnight and arrived at the SGC before I did. Hammond sent her on the mission Kershaw told you about."

"Oh, my god."

Jack decided to forego the whole prisoner and snaking thing for now and continued, "We went back for her but she was gone. It took me a few months to realize that my Sam was the Captain Carter who'd gone missing off-world-"

"Because we never exchanged last names," she said, interrupting him.

"Yeah. Listen, um, I should probably be…"

"Stay."

"Sam…" He said softly, catching her gaze.

"Please."

"Look, you're dealing with a loss right now that I can't even begin to…What I mean is, maybe I'm not the right person to help you."

"Yes, you are. You're the only one who can. Look, I know you well enough to know that you don't have clue what to say. You don't have to say anything."

She looked so sad, all teary-eyed and emotional, so he opened his arms, "C'mere."

Her cheeks were wet against his neck as she hugged him. "Oh, I miss him."

"I know, I know," he murmured.

She hugged him tighter, sobs wracking her body. He suspected she hadn't let herself grieve for her loss yet and now it was all pouring out of her. All he could do was hold her and hope it was a comfort for her.

After a while, her sobs stopped and she slowly pulled back. "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess. I shouldn't have-"

"Hey, it's okay," he said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "You lost your husband. Crying is allowed."

"Thank you. You should go, though."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, giving him a teary smile. "Yeah, I'd like to be alone."

Jack figured his presence was too much for her. At first, it might have been a comfort but after pouring her heart out, it probably just felt strange. He'd experienced something similar when that Crystal Entity turned into Charlie two years ago. "Look, Sam."

"I'm okay."

"I know you are, but I also know my presence might be too much for you in the long run. I'm not your husband."

She nodded, sniffling. "And I'm not your Sam."

"No, you're not. Hammond said to tell you that you and Kawalsky could stay here indefinitely. But there's also an option to get you back home. It's going to take some time but we might be able to come up with a plan."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't a possibility," Jack said. "But you need your rest. We'll go over everything with you and Kawalsky tomorrow."

"Okay," she nodded. "Thank you, Jack. Good night."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ako'la**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

The crowd of Jaffa were all stunned into silence, staring at the hole Sam had blasted into the ground with the hand device. She, however, was tense, waiting for them to react. It was always difficult to predict the kind of reaction her demonstration would get and she never hesitated to activate the force field shield if the situation required it. The Ako'lan Jaffa showed no signs of aggression, though. They were just… stunned, despite hearing Bra'tac and Shen'ems speak about how a former hosts retains their ability to use Goa'uld technology.

"The Goa'uld are not gods," she reiterated, before the mood could change. "They're simply parasites who need humans and Jaffa to survive. You, to grow them to maturity and fight their battles, humans to use and discard as hosts. Without us, they'd be stuck in a water environment and do nothing but swim around for the rest of their lives. They _need_ us to rule."

"But we need them to survive," one of the Jaffa said. "Once our symbiote matures, we require a new _prim'ta_ or we die."

"Our children will die without a _prim'ta_ when they reach the age of _prata_!"

Sam knew their arguments were valid and, being a mother, understood their concern for their children. There really wasn't a solution for the Jaffa. Not yet, anyway. She and Bra'tac had spent many hours kelno'reeming together, searching through Herit's memories of Jaffa and Goa'uld physiology but it had become apparent that after centuries of dependence on symbiotes, the Jaffa couldn't survive without them. "I won't deny that, but there's no reason for you to be dependent on the Goa'uld. Who guards the Queens who produce new _prim'ta_? Who guards the _prim'ta_ in the temples? Who performs the _prim'ta_ ritual? Who selects those who receive a _prim'ta_?"

There was a brief moment of silence before a murmuring rose, the Jaffa talking among themselves as they processed what she just told them.

"The Goa'uld created the Jaffa to serve them, but _you_ are in the position to overthrow them. Warriors, scribes, priests… you're the ones keeping the Goa'uld and their offspring safe! The _prim'ta_ are there for the taking if you need them. Instead, you abide by the rules and rituals of the Goa'uld. Apophis is dead and what is Klorel going to do if you all stand up for yourselves? He is already lacking the manpower to defend himself against Heru'ur, he doesn't have the Jaffa or time to save the Queens or all the _prim'ta_ in the temples. If he even realizes what's going on."

"But how?"

"How?" Sam repeated, looking at the Jaffa who'd asked the question. "By taking control of the Queens and _prim'ta_ at the temples you'll have enough for generations to come. And the Queen can reproduce asexually, without a male, for centuries! The Rebel Jaffa can become a self-sufficient society and fight the Goa'uld. Once your _prim'ta_ matures, you can kill it and replace it with a new one. No more rules and selection processes: everyone, men, women, old, young, warriors, scribes, priests, everyone will get a new _prim'ta_. Eight cycles later, they'll kill it and get another one."

"The Goa'uld will kill all!"

"Apophis will come for us!"

"We are too few!"

Sam raised her hands and gestured for them to calm down. "The _Tau'ri_ watched Apophis die and sent him to Sokar. Klorel is young and foolish. He has no control over Chulak, let alone the rest of Apophis' domain. Master Bra'tac and I have gathered many Jaffa of different planets together and they joined the Rebellion. Together, they'll fight the Goa'uld and take back their freedom!"

More arguments and questions were raised, but Shen'ems stepped up to her side before she could reply to any of them.

"Master Bra'tac needs to speak with you, _Sām_ ," he whispered in her ear. "He requested I take over."

"Um, okay. Good luck." She introduced him to the crowd and headed off to the hut Bra'tac was staying in with Ife, frowning. What could he possibly want? He never pulled her from a gathering, not unless the Jaffa didn't accept her – for being human or a former host, it differed – and that wasn't the case today. She quickened her pace and ran the last hundred feet or so at the thought of Ife being hurt or sick.

Sam rushed into the hut, her eyes barely having time to adjust, and looked around wildly, worried about why she'd been pulled away from giving her speech to potential Rebel Jaffa. "Bra'tac? Ife?"

" _Sām_." Bra'tac greeted her from where he was seated on the floor, balancing a plate of food on one knee. Ife was lying next to him, asleep, with her head resting on his other knee.

"What's wrong? Is Ife okay?"

"She is doing well," he said, petting the girl's hair. "I received word from Moac."

Sam frowned, momentarily thrown. They hadn't heard from Moac in a while, but last they heard he'd been working hard on recruiting Jaffa on Chulak for the Rebellion. "Oh. Is he okay? What did he want?"

Bra'tac gestured for her to sit down and waited until she'd done so. "He received a message from the _Tau'ri_. Eat."

"What kind of message?" She accepted the plate of food he shoved into her hands and smiled softly at the three slices he'd given her. It was some pancake-like dish, which tasted remarkably like pizza and she'd cut it into slices last night, much to his confusion until she explained that was the way pizza was supposed to be eaten. Refocusing, she tried to think of reasons why the SGC would contact Moac. Could it be…? No, Bra'tac would have told her right away if she could go home. "Is something wrong?"

"They appear to have come across a Jaffa training camp. Young Jaffa were sent there from different worlds in Apophis' domain, shortly after you and I left the _ha'tak_. Jaffa masters came to train them but eventually abandoned their _chal'tii_ to fight a great battle for Apophis."

She frowned, "But Apophis is dead. Right?"

"Indeed. The _Tau'ri_ convinced them of this and contacted Moac to meet with us. There are some young warriors who wish to join the Jaffa Rebellion."

"Well, that's great news." She paused to take a bite but her stomach was suddenly in knots over the news. How had they contacted Moac? Who wanted to meet with whom? Was Jack involved and did he want to see her? "So, um, what did you tell him?"

Bra'tac narrowed his eyes at her, a familiar expression. "That he should arrange a meeting."

"Where and with whom?"

"Teal'c and O'Neill made the request. They wish to meet on the planet itself."

"You don't sound nearly as eager as I'd have expected, considering we can use all the rebels we can get," Sam said slowly.

He looked down at Ife, who was just waking up and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. "We do not know these Jaffa," he said. "We do not know the planet. We cannot be certain of its security."

"You don't trust Moac?"

"It is not him I distrust."

She raised an eyebrow at the way he so openly expressed his doubts. "I thought you said Teal'c was to be trusted. And that I should trust Colonel O'Neill because Teal'c did…"

"Moac did not meet with them personally. He received a message with the request. It is possible it was not them but a Goa'uld, Klorel perhaps, who sent it. To lure us into a trap."

She froze at the Goa'uld's name and her heart started pounding. She knew it was a ridiculous reaction, especially when Klorel wasn't even anywhere in the vicinity, but she couldn't help it and hated her body's response. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself and faked a smile when Bra'tac cuddled Ife and her daughter giggled. "What, um, did Moac say? Does he think it's a trap?"

"He is unsure."

"I thought Klorel was still fighting with Heru'ur over Apophis' domain… if he knows Moac is part of the rebellion, then wouldn't he have just killed him?"

"Perhaps he wishes to capture us and bring us before the System Lords, to reinforce his status as Apophis' son and the rightful heir to his place among them."

Sam bit her lip nervously, thinking through the possibilities. Bra'tac made a good point, but it was unlikely for Klorel to come up with such an elaborate plan. He was too impulsive, in her opinion. Young. "But how would he know about Moac? Or the Rebel Jaffa and our involvement in it?"

"I do not know. Perhaps the Jaffa of planets we have previously visited alerted him to our activities."

"They don't know I was host to Herit," she said quickly. "Just _a_ host."

Bra'tac's face softened in sympathy, "It would not be difficult to deduce, _Sām_. We have spoken of Apophis and Klorel, we move within their territory, I bear the mark of First Prime of the Serpent Guards and your appearance is unusual."

A lot of them knew about Ife's existence, too. Not all of them, but enough. She silently berated herself for letting her guard down. How could she have been so stupid? "And Klorel wants revenge."

"You killed his mate and now you are attempting to destroy his army."

"Gee thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot." She regretted the snarky reply the moment the words left her mouth and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Klorel's need for vengeance will be strong," Bra'tac said, as if she hadn't spoken. "You are more aware of his cruelty than any other and it will be doubly so for killing Herit if he captures you. The killing of a mate weighs more heavily than that of a father. For Klorel even more so, because of the manner in which Herit and Apophis were killed. Sokar is a feared enemy and the _Tau'ri's_ involvement in Apophis' death an added irritation, but it matters that Apophis' death was at the hand of the enemy. You, however, were merely a female host. A human. You-"

"I know, I know. I'll die a thousand deaths before he'll actually put me through hell again, or something like that."

" _Sām_..."

She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the images her mind conjured up. Klorel wasn't going to win, not after everything she'd gone through. Hell, she'd kill him herself if they ever crossed paths again. "I still don't think Klorel is behind this."

Bra'tac was quiet for a moment, rubbing Ife's tummy as she leaned back against him sleepily. His dark gaze was aimed at the ground however and it betrayed his pensiveness. "What of those who betrayed you?"

"You mean Colonel Grieves or the people he works with? Um, I don't know."

"Perhaps they wish to ensure your death."

Sam had told him everything, filling in the blanks left from SG-1's story during his first meeting with them and sharing her insecurities and fears over her return with him. "Moac knew the message came from Earth, though. Right?"

"He did not specify."

"I suppose it's a possibility but I think it's highly unlikely."

"Not impossible," Bra'tac said. "If you return to the _Tau'ri_ you could undermine their operation, yes?"

She nodded slowly. That was true and exactly why she couldn't go back until Jack found out who was behind Grieves' orders. Her life – and by extension, Ife's – would be on the line, if she even made it out of the gate room alive. She could testify against Grieves and with what Jack had discovered so far, they'd be able to nail him. Something Grieves nor his superiors wanted. "I'll go."

He grabbed her arm, " _Sām_?"

"I don't want you to risk your life if it's not SG-1. Klorel wants you dead too, remember. And Grieves and his friends would probably want to get rid of you as well, because you can back up my story about my injuries and the state he left me in on that planet, knowing I was still alive."

"And what of your child, hm?"

Sam's gaze landed on the little girl in his lap and swallowed hard. "You stay with her. I trust you to keep her safe. If something happens to me-"

"No," he said. "We will both go. Moac will bring Shan'auc with him and she may watch the _sefi_. I need to speak with Teal'c and see these _chal'tii_ myself. If the message was not from Teal'c or O'Neill, we will need to rely on each other to escape."

"I'm pretty sure you don't need my help," she muttered.

"You have come far, _Sām._ Your skills with weaponry is more advanced than many a seasoned Jaffa warrior and you have the ability to use Herit's devices. In close quarters your training in _lok'nel_ will be beneficial as well, particularly in combination with your _Tau'ri_ … techniques."

"Ah, so you just want me around in case you get yourself injured again. You'll need me to heal and protect you."

Bra'tac narrowed his eyes at her, as if scowling, but the corners of his mouth also quirked up. "We will both go. Prepare yourself and the _sefi_ for travel to the _chaapa'ai_. It is a long and arduous trek."

Sam grabbed the mixture of mud and minerals she and her daughter had been using to protect their fair skins from the bright sun and set it on the floor next to her, before taking Ife from Bra'tac when he got up. "Come here, sweetie. Let's get you ready."

"Momma," Ife said in an excited voice, arms reaching for her neck.

Smiling, she gave her a big hug before setting her in her lap. "Keep still, okay?" Sam grabbed the bowl from the floor and, after stirring the mixture with her finger, scooped some of the goop onto her hand. "I don't want your cute little face to get sunburnt," she said, after applying a dollop of the alien sunblock on her daughter's nose. When the girl scrunched up her nose, Sam chuckled. "Does it tickle?"

Ife giggled and brushed her little fingers over her nose. "Ew." She held up her hand, studying the goop on it as if it was the most fascinating thing ever, her disgust vanishing like snow in the sun. Cautiously, she rubbed it on her other hand, eyes widening when realizing both hands were now covered in it. "Oooh," she cooed. Suddenly, a cheeky smile appeared on her face and she reached out, smearing some of the goop on Sam's cheek. "Momma too."

Sam rolled her eyes indulgently, before grabbing Ife's hand with her own. "Gee, thanks, sweetie. I'll apply some myself later. Let's finish you up first."

"Me?"

"Yes you. Okay?"

Ife frowned for a moment and then rubbed the goop from her hands back on her face. "Okay."

Sam quickly finished up once her daughter cooperated and applied the alien sunblock to both their faces, necks, arms and hands. The rest of their bodies were covered by robes. Not knowing whether they'd return to Ako'la anytime soon, she packed up their most important things while Ife played with her doll.

They went for a quick latrine break before joining Bra'tac outside, where he was conferring with Shen'ems. The Kawawnan Jaffa would stay behind to win over as many of the Ako'lan Jaffa as possible, while she and Bra'tac would meet up with SG-1 – or whoever was pretending to be them.

Sam held Ife's hand and let her walk for the first bit as they headed towards the stargate. There were no hostiles or wild animals in the vicinity of the camp, so she figured they had to make the best of the opportunity since it didn't happen too often. After a while, though, Ife got tired and Sam hauled her up in her arms while Bra'tac took her bag without even breaking his stride.

After a few klicks they stopped for water and Bra'tac refilled her second waterskin with the water from the filter he was carrying. Ife was toddling through a field of flowers a few feet away, but Bra'tac kept his alert gaze on the girl when he spoke, "You do not seem concerned."

"What," Sam said between sips, "about the meeting? Or Ife admiring the flowers?"

"You put much faith in O'Neill," he said, ignoring the rest of what she said.

She could feel heat flare up on her cheeks and hoped the alien sunblock masked her blush somewhat, because she didn't want to alert him to anything. "Weren't you the one who convinced me he was trustworthy?"

He turned to look at her with narrowed eyes, "Was I?"

"Something about Teal'c pledging his allegiance to General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill," she mumbled.

"Indeed." With that, he grabbed his things again and called Ife over, ready to head out again.

Sam was relieved he'd dropped the subject, because she had no idea what to say. Although she'd never denied knowing Jack, she had more or less implied she didn't know him up until they met at Hathor's planet. She wasn't even sure why. Sure, in the beginning she hadn't known whether or not Bra'tac was to be trusted but he'd long ago proven himself. Now, all she could think was that if she was going to tell anyone, it would be Jack. It didn't seem right to tell someone else he had a daughter before he'd even learned the truth himself.

They continued on their way, with the sun beating down on them. Sweat was running down Sam's back but Bra'tac didn't seem to experience any discomfort as usual and she envied him for it. Ife squirmed in her arms and it took maybe another ten minutes before she asked to be fed. They briefly stopped walking for Sam to undo her robe but she was eager to get to the stargate, so they resumed their trek while feeding Ife.

"We will reach the _chaapa'ai_ before darkness falls," Bra'tac said. "Then, we will travel to Dar Eshkalon and await Shan'auc's arrival."

"If Moac managed to locate her and smuggle her off-world."

"They have their ways."

"But we don't know how long it'll take them," Sam reminded him.

Bra'tac looked at her as she switched Ife to her other hip. "It will take as long as it takes."

"That's… true."

"O'Neill and Teal'c will wait for us, if they were the ones who called on us."

Sam didn't have a lot of experience with SG-1 aside from some of their mission reports, but she was all too familiar with the military. "That depends on their mission. They won't be allowed to stay off-world indefinitely. There's probably a relatively small window of opportunity for us to meet up, depending on how badly the SGC wants us to have those Jaffa."

"Why do you suspect they wish for those _chal'tii_ to join us?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe there's nowhere for them to return to. There's a tactical advantage in sending them to join us. That way they can make sure those Jaffa won't join Klorel or another Goa'uld and strengthen our numbers."

"Why would they wish to assist us in building a rebel army?"

"To collaborate, maybe. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If the Jaffa Rebellion grows and Jaffa in service to other Goa'uld join, then it'll undermine the Goa'uld's strength and that makes them easier to defeat."

Bra'tac nodded, pleased. "You were taught well, _Sām_."

Instead of answering, she righted her clothes and shifted Ife so the girl could rest her head on her shoulder. At this time of day, Ife usually took a nap and she always got sleepy once she was fed. Sam suppressed a yawn and realized she was getting tired as well. They'd been walking for hours already and using the hand device earlier had worn her out. God, she hoped the meeting point with SG-1 wasn't too far from the stargate.

Just the thought of meeting SG-1 – _Jack_ – again made her nervous. She wasn't sure why, since they'd already met and he'd recognized her. Of course, back then she'd pretty much jumped into the situation without much of a plan or time to prepare. Once she heard the gunfire, she knew she had to help. Now, there was too much time to think about the meeting. How long had it been and how much progress could he have made on finding out who Grieves was working for?

She wasn't going to get her hopes up about returning home anytime soon. If that had been the case, Moac would have told her. Hell, she half expected Jack to show up to bring her back himself. She shook herself over her train of thought. It was easy to attribute certain qualities to Jack, but the truth was she barely knew him. They'd had a one-night stand and he felt guilty about what happened to her on her mission. That was all. The rest… well, maybe that was something they could work on once she was home – if he wanted to. Right now, she had different priorities.

"On Eskal," Bra'tac started, breaking the silence, "it appeared you and O'Neill knew each other well."

Sam had to force herself to keep walking and not betray her thoughts, but it was kind of scary how he seemed to be reading her mind. A quick glance at him told her he was uncharacteristically curious. "Oh?"

"There was an ease within your interaction."

She knew he was probably referring to how comfortable she'd been around him. Hell, they'd been standing close enough to touch and hadn't she kissed him goodbye? Most of it had been a blur and some days she wondered what she actually remembered and what she'd imagined. The only thing she could clearly recall was her relief at his promise to help her return home safely. "I guess he was just happy I saved him from becoming a host."

"Perhaps."

"So," she said, "how much farther is it to the stargate?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I have updated the Survival Series timeline, so if you want to read more about the universe it's set in please check out the link on my profile.


	6. Chapter 6

**P1P-309**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**  
 **May 18, 1999**

Jack rolled his eyes at Kershaw and Teal'c discussing their favorite scenes from _Star Wars_. He hadn't been a fan of the trilogy the first time around, but apparently his 2IC had found it necessary to introduce the big guy to the sci-fi movie. "Oh, for crying out loud. How about you two shut up about it for now?" He glared at them from over his shoulder, ignoring Daniel's raised eyebrows. "In case you've forgotten, we're still on a mission. Save the movie reviews for when you're off-duty, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir," Kershaw said, looking mortified. "I guess I got carried away."

"Yeah, well, get carried away on your own time."

She nodded briskly. "I apologize, Colonel. It won't happen again."

"See to it, Lieutenant."

Teal'c didn't say anything, merely raising an eyebrow in that disapproving way he had.

Daniel, however, was a different story. "Uh, don't you think maybe you're overreacting a bit?"

"No."

"But-"

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation and made sure the archaeologist noticed. Under normal circumstances he sort of enjoyed winding him up, but he hated pretending to be a jackass to someone under his command. Kershaw didn't really deserve it, even if she and Teal'c weren't supposed to talk about movies on a mission. Of course, the mission was pretty much over and done with already, which often meant there was room for conversation – and he was never an uptight asshole about it.

But he had a role to play if he wanted his team to believe his actions later on. "Just because we've managed to convince these Jaffa that Apophis is dead and they're free to go doesn't mean we can have a tea party. Kershaw knows this, right Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Sir."

"They're just excited about the upcoming _Star Wars_ movie," Daniel said.

Jack stopped walking and took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry I don't care about the latest sci-fi movie, but we're on a different planet in unknown terrain and possible hostiles. I think that's a little bit more important than movie reviews."

"Possible hostiles? Those Jaffa have handed over their weapons and some have already left to go home, Jack!"

"Guess it was too much to hope you'd actually learned something about the military in the past couple of years."

Daniel huffed and looked ready to argue, but suddenly got a thoughtful expression on his face. "Is this about you missing out on movie night?"

"For crying out loud, Daniel! Have you not been listening at all? I don't care about the fucking movie or that I wasn't invited to your little get together! Mission protocol and safety is what matters right now."

"It _is_ about the movie night. Look, Jack, we didn't do it on purpose. The three of us just happened to be on base and Christina was telling us about the newest _Star Wars_ movie premiering this week. Teal'c had never seen them bef-"

"Daniel! Shut up," Jack said.

He blithely carried on, "Maybe we should have called you and invited you over. But honestly, you've been such an ass lately that it wasn't on the forefront of my mind. What?" He turned to a shocked Kershaw and shrugged, "I'm just saying what we're all thinking. You've been bitching and moaning so much lately-"

"'Bitching'? You speak twenty-three languages and that's the best you can come up with, really?"

Daniel glared at him and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That's exactly what you've been doing lately and frankly, I'm sick of it."

Jack straightened to his full height and shoved his hands in his pockets, throwing his friend a skeptical look. "So, you think I should, what, lighten up? Tell me, what's there to be happy about? We've just come across a Jaffa training camp, set up by Apophis and long abandoned but these guys were still fighting. They were willing to kill each other in the Final Challenge, to prove to that snakehead that they were worthy of serving in his army. If we didn't have that footage of ole' Pops dying, then we would have never convinced them that the Goa'uld aren't gods and they'd still be at it. Who knows how many more camps like this are out there?"

"Well-"

"We were nearly killed by a bunch of adolescent Jaffa in a twisted game of Cowboys and Indians! SG-11 were tortured and killed in the hopes of finding ways to destroy us all by those Jaffa Masters who've vanished without a trace. So, I'm sorry if that and all the other shit we've been through lately really doesn't cheer me up, Daniel."

"O'Neill-"

"It's okay, Teal'c," Daniel said, holding up his hand to forestall whatever it was he wanted to say. "We've all gone through a lot lately, but that's why it's a good thing we have each other, Jack. If we can't lean on each other then what's the point, right? I mean, it's not like anyone outside of the SGC could comprehend all the things we've experienced."

Ignoring him, Jack continued, "And for what? A bunch of crappy intars that can only be used for training purposes because they're not lethal? Oh, yeah, and a vacuum. Well, whoopee. Ain't life grand?"

"Vocume," Daniel corrected.

"Whatever."

"Jack-"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, why don't you and Kershaw go help Ferretti with relocating the Jaffa who want to go home? T and I will stay here with the ones who want to join the Jaffa Rebellion and wait for Bra'tac to show up."

Daniel looked torn between wanting to escape his dark mood and staying out of a sense of loyalty, but eventually let out a deep sigh and nodded. "Okay. If you're sure you don't need us or Ferretti anymore."

"Nah. Those Jaffa listen mostly to Teal'c anyway. I'm just his lowly human servant, after all. Right, Master?"

"Indeed," Teal'c said, lips twitching. "I am also looking forward to seeing Master Bra'tac once again."

Jack could live without running into that old coot again, but he was hoping Sam would join Bra'tac and he really wanted to see her. Talk to her. Make sure she was okay. He still felt bad about their rushed parting back on Hathor's planet. At the time, he'd hardly processed what seeing her meant and he'd been suffering from a severe neck injury, but the past couple of months he'd had plenty of time to think of all the things he should have told her. Instead, he'd just handed her a GDO for emergencies and basically told her to wait for his call. "Just, go Daniel. We'll be fine."

"Sir?"

"You too, Kershaw."

She nodded with a small, uncertain smile on her face and turned on her heel. "See you back home, Colonel, Teal'c."

He watched them go, heading towards the gate where Ferretti – who'd helped them with the vacuum's projection per Catherine's instructions on the radio – was coordinating all the trips home for the Jaffa that wanted to leave. There was no reason they all had to go to the SGC to do so, especially since there was always some high up civilian complaining about the costs of activating the stargate. Off-world, there was a neat little DHD that took care of that and that was really all they needed. Ferretti was writing down all the addresses and planet names as instructed, so Daniel would probably have a field day interviewing the Jaffa about their respective home planets.

Jack hoped that would make up for the crappy way he'd been treating his team lately. It was out of necessity, though. He'd known about their plans to watch movies the other night and left the base on purpose, knowing he had to retreat from them if the plan he and Hammond had concocted would have any chance of succeeding. Soon, it would be time for him to really start acting out. Stuff that went beyond biting his team's heads off. He'd have to cause a disagreement or a fight, perhaps even turn against one of their allies. Things would escalate and Hammond would have to force him into retirement. That way there was an opening for the SG-1 team leader, allowing Hammond a chance to shake things up a bit for the off-world teams and perhaps even ferret out the mole, while Jack would open the door for Maybourne or whoever was behind the Rogue NID operation.

"Did Doctor Langford specify a location on this planet for our meeting in the message to Moac?"

The question jerked him from his thoughts. "Um, nothing specific. I figured it would be best to stay close to the gate, but maybe we could wait for them over there."

Teal'c looked into the direction he waved and nodded. "Perhaps we should relocate."

"Looks like Ferretti and the others are almost done."

"Indeed, few Jaffa remain near the stargate."

Jack nodded as he walked alongside Teal'c, heading towards the center of the training camp where the potential rebels were waiting. "How long do you think it will take Bra'tac to get here?"

"I am unsure. It depends on his location and when he receives word from Moac."

"Do you think they're in communication somehow, like we are with Moac, or would they only meet up in person?"

"It would be prudent for them not to be seen together while Moac is still in the service of Klorel," Teal'c said. "The wisest course of action would be a small long-range communication orb that fits in the palm of one's hand."

Jack was reminded of the giant white orb aboard Klorel's ship. "Like a miniature version of the one we saw on the mothership?"

"Indeed."

"We should get one of those things. That way we wouldn't need to go through Moac all the time."

Teal'c raised a brow in question. "I believe Master Bra'tac would prefer it this way."

He shrugged, "Well, then at least we should get one to keep in touch with Moac instead of making Catherine and her eggheads perform miracles to contact him."

"That might be wise."

They continued on their way in silence, Jack moving a few feet ahead of T, who was walking at an easy pace. Jack was still frustrated over having to distance himself from his teammates and simultaneously nervous about meeting Sam again; walking fast helped him burn off some of the restless energy.

After a while, they reached their destination where Teal'c closed the distance between them and broke the silence with an inquiring look at him. "It is curious that none of the other personnel at Stargate Command seems to be aware of Captain Carter's whereabouts or that she chose to remain with Master Bra'tac."

"Oh?" Jack said, only barely managing not to falter in his step. His thoughtless introduction of Sam to Daniel and Kershaw on Hathor's planet had forced him and Hammond to come up with a reason to explain why Sam didn't return to the SGC with him. But they'd tried their damnedest to keep any knowledge about Sam's presence from spreading, which was why only SG-1, Catherine and Hammond were aware. "Maybe the others just haven't been paying attention. It's not like they knew her well. She was only on base for a couple of hours before she went on her mission."

"Perhaps."

"Who knows," he said.

Teal'c looked far too knowing when he took a seat on a boulder. "Who knows, indeed."

Jack was left wondering just how much T knew. The Jaffa always played his cards close to his chest and, if he even suspected anything about Sam or Jack's upcoming undercover mission, he'd never tell anyone. Not even Jack himself. No, Teal'c was far more likely to give him _that_ look and afterwards look very pleased with himself for having figured it out. Damn, T so knew something was going on. That had to be why he hadn't brought up Jack's behavior lately, just observed him and bickering with Daniel and biting Kershaw's head off. Damn.

Their radio crackled and Ferretti announced all the Jaffa who wanted to go home had left and he'd be taking half of SG-1 back to the SGC with him.

"Now we must wait for the arrival of Bra'tac and Captain Carter," Teal'c said.

Nodding, Jack peered back in the direction of the gate. They had a good view of it from here and it wouldn't take long for the old coot to realize that would be where he and Teal'c were waiting. He sighed and stretched his tall frame, casting a look at the potential rebels behind them. "Maybe you should keep the kids company. They look bored and like maybe they're having second thoughts."

"Patience is a highly valued skill for a true warrior."

Jack knew that was as close as T was going to get to express his exasperation with the young Jaffa and smirked. "Well, you did say they were still in training. Is it fair to hold them up to your standards when you had Bra'tac as a mentor and their Jaffa Masters left them in the midst of training?"

"Master Bra'tac's teachings are unrivaled. No Jaffa has retained the position of First Prime for as long as he has."

"Before he defected, that is."

"Indeed."

Unable to stop himself, Jack glanced in the direction of the stargate. No sign of Bra'tac or Sam yet. God, it could take hours, maybe even days until they'd show up. Hopefully, Hammond would let him and Teal'c stay until they showed. "So, T," he said, turning back to his friend, "was Bra'tac one of the Masters during your Rules of Engagement?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He was not. Such a task would be beneath his station."

"Oh."

"Master Bra'tac took an interest in me after Apophis made me a member of his personal guard as a reward for my victory in the Final Challenge. He was impressed by my strength and cunning."

Once again, he was struck by the differences between them. Their personalities were similar, both like-minded warriors and brothers-in-arms as Teal'c called it, but Jack couldn't imagine something like the Final Challenge as part of his training. The opposing Jaffa had all been killed and considering what 'Roger' told them about the set-up of the Rules of Engagement, Jack figured Teal'c had to at least have known those other Jaffa – they may have been friends. But Apophis made them kill each other for the strong to prevail. Jack had done some damn distasteful things for his country but it had been his choice to join the Air Force and the training didn't involve actual kill-or-be-killed scenarios. Teal'c had never been given a choice and still the man stood up to his God and switched sides. "I don't blame him," he said, smirking.

Teal'c inclined his head in gratitude, before his lips curled up in a Jaffa smirk. "Neither do I, O'Neill."

"I bet your modesty really impressed the hell out of him, though."

"I shall join the _chal'tii_ and see to it they will remain here until Master Bra'tac arrives."

He snorted and shook his head at the change of subject. "Sure, you do that. I'll be here, waiting."

Jack spent the next couple of hours entertaining himself by alternatively playing with his yoyo and a deck of cards, while Teal'c kept the kids busy with some kind of martial arts training and kel'no'reeming. He was just starting to wonder about getting some grub, when suddenly the stargate activated. He was on his feet in a flash, cards fluttering to the ground.

They hadn't put a guard on the gate because that might cause Bra'tac to be wary and either attack or turn back the way he came – neither of which was an option to Jack – so he readied his weapon and signaled Teal'c to do the same with his staff weapon. Jaffa eyesight was a heck of a lot better than a human's, so Jack used his MP5's sight to get a closer look knowing any Jaffa coming through the gate would be able to catch sight of him.

Jack's heart jumped into his throat when he recognized the two figures exiting the event horizon; Bra'tac appeared first, wary and armed, but it was Sam whose presence affected him. She was wearing robes and before she'd uncovered her head it had been difficult to tell who Bra'tac's companion was. But when she looked into his direction it was clear as day. "They're here," he announced over his shoulder.

"Indeed." Teal'c didn't say anything until the duo were just a few hundred yards away, heading into their direction. "Captain Carter does not share as much resemblance with the alternate Doctor Carter as I had expected."

"I suppose," Jack said, shrugging. Meeting Sam's alternate – who'd been married to his own alternate – a few weeks ago had been more than weird. But it had fed his growing feelings for Sam; he knew himself well enough to acknowledge it. It was a good thing she and Kawalsky went back to their own reality… Meeting up with Sam ramped up his nerves again in light of those feelings. After all, they'd only spent one night together almost two years ago and since then, she'd been living off-world. If she hadn't saved him on Hathor's planet, he wouldn't have known if she even remembered him. But that could very well be it. He'd had constant reminders of her, ranging from the search for her to meeting Sams from alternate realities.

What did she really have to be reminded of him?

Certainly nothing on a daily basis. Hell, she was probably still traumatized by everything she'd gone through since that fateful mission of hers and barely gave him a thought. It was pretty amazing she even remembered him from one night all that time ago, really. Sure, she'd come to his rescue and seemed very pleased when he recognized her, but that didn't have to mean a thing. Perhaps she was just happy to see someone from the SGC who wasn't Grieves and could help her get home…

Jack was certainly unsure about how to greet her and simply stood there, trying to adopt a casual stance and easing the death grip he had on his weapon.

Teal'c didn't have the same problem and walked past him, approaching Bra'tac and Sam. " _Tek'ma'te_ _Tchaȧs Bra'tac_." They shook hands the Jaffa way, before Teal'c turned to Sam. "Captain Carter, it is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"Um, thanks," she said softly. "But please, call me Sam."

" _Sām_ , this is my former apprentice, Teal'c of Chulak."

Jack wasn't surprised to see Sam incline her head the way T often did but it was still… eerie. He wondered if she spent a lot of time among other Jaffa. Frowning, he realized he hadn't given her living situation much thought. He'd taken her at her word when she assured him she'd be fine off-world with Bra'tac, but seeing her again now – without the distraction of a near-snaking and blood loss – he couldn't help but wonder.

"The Jaffa on SG-1," Sam said, holding out her hand.

Teal'c clasped her forearm and dipped his head. "Indeed. O'Neill and I are the only ones present today but Daniel Jackson sends his regards."

Jack realized that was his cue and took the last couple of steps to join them. He was still trying to decide on a proper greeting when Sam's gaze landed on him and she smiled. All of a sudden, his doubts disappeared. "Hey."

Her smile grew brighter, dimples making an appearance. "Hey."

Holding her gaze, he felt the same inexplicable connection as he had that night in DC. Memories of that first meeting flooded his mind. The way he'd felt her eyes on him at first, when she thought he was too focused on playing pool to notice. Her reaction to his challenge. The way she'd flushed at being put on the spot. Her beaming smile. The flirting…

Bra'tac cleared his throat and eyed them both with something akin to suspicion in his eyes. "It is good to see you again, O'Neill."

"Uh, yeah. You too, Bra'tac," he said, dragging his gaze from Sam and extending a hand. "Thanks for coming. Your Jaffa students are over there, by the way."

Teal'c and Bra'tac exchanged looks and after a "hm" from Bra'tac, the two Jaffa made their way over to the camp where the potential rebels were still training and kel'no'reeming.

It wasn't until Sam quirked a brow at the Jaffa's retreating forms that Jack realized perhaps he'd been a bit rude. Ah well, it wasn't like Bra'tac thought highly of him, anyway. "So…"

"Thank you for getting Moac to contact us about the training camp."

"Oh yeah, sure," he said. A thought came to mind and he frowned, "Uh, did you want to meet them yourself?"

Sam shook her head slowly and pushed a few blonde tendrils that had escaped her bun behind her ear. "No, Bra'tac mostly deals with the Rebel Jaffa. I'm just there to help convince people that the Goa'uld aren't gods." She smiled self-consciously, "You know, perform a few tricks with the Goa'uld devices."

"We could have used your help a few hours ago," Jack said, indicating the young Jaffa with a thumb over his shoulder.

"How _did_ you convince them?"

"Oh, they had this vo'cume with Apophis' instructions and with Catherine's help Ferretti taped the SGC footage of Apophis dying over it to share with the group. We won them over pretty quickly after that."

"Right. I don't suppose we could get a copy?"

Jack wondered why he hadn't thought of that. "Um, I don't know. Ferretti took the vo'cume back to the SGC with him. Catherine and her geeks probably want to check it out. But I'll discuss it with Hammond."

"How many want to join the Rebel Jaffa?"

"Maybe a third? The rest have all been sent home already." He watched her as her gaze wandered over to where Bra'tac and Teal'c were speaking with the youngsters. With her standing so close, he could clearly tell she had changed. Her carefreeness from DC was gone, just like Doctor Carter, and she'd lost some of the softness in her face. He didn't know if that was caused by what she'd gone through or if her diet was poor, but he definitely recognized the hard look in her eyes – it was one he often saw in the mirror. "Look Sam, are you okay?"

She sighed and her shoulders sagged slightly. "I'm a bit tired, to be honest. We were a couple of klicks from the stargate when Moac contacted us and then we had to… um, make a detour before we got here."

"C'mere," Jack said, gently grasping her elbow and leading her away to the boulder where he'd left his pack. It was as comfortable a place they could find around the camp. "So, you guys didn't fly that ancient death glider Bra'tac used on Hathor's planet?"

"No, it had been hidden away for close to a century and had some issues. There was some damage from the hit it took as well, so it's stored near one of the Rebel camps. I might take a look at it when I've got some spare time."

"You're keeping busy then?"

She sat down and nodded. "We travel a lot, trying to recruit new Jaffa for the Rebellion. We can't afford to wait now that the Goa'uld are too busy fighting each other over Apophis' domain. Now's the time to strike."

"But you're okay, right? Sam?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling, "I'm okay. Do I miss the comforts of home? Sure. But we've got food, shelter and a mission."

He joined her on the boulder, looking at her profile. He was reminded of Doctor Carter and recalled her story of how she and his alternate had met. Just one fork in the road – Sam joining the military – less and that could have been him and Sam. It was a strange idea. Of course, from what he understood, it was entirely possible there was another alternate reality where Sam had joined the military and they were together. Married even. One where she hadn't joined SG-7 or where Grieves hadn't turned out to be a son of bitch who killed to get his hands on alien tech.

"What?"

"I was just thinking… a while ago, an alternate version of, well, you, came to the SGC. We found this mirror thing that's basically a gateway to alternate realities, according to her and Catherine. That Sam, Doctor Carter, wasn't military, though."

"So, she never went to P3X-425?"

He shook his head, "No. But their Earth was under Goa'uld attack – after she went back we helped her get in touch with their Asgard to get rid of the Goa'uld and start rebuilding their reality. Bra'tac told me you were the one who disabled the shields aboard Klorel's ship, not him. If you hadn't, he'd have been too late and we would have never been able to escape and destroy both ships. Earth would have been under attack like in Doctor Carter's reality."

She gave him a wan smile and shrugged. "I guess something good came out of it then. If I hadn't been made a host, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to help."

"Yeah."

"She, the other me, probably wouldn't have lasted long without her military training."

Jack could tell she was surprised by what she'd just said and he ached for her, for what she'd gone through. But he recognized the set of her jaw as a sign that she didn't want to elaborate, so he didn't ask for more information. Instead, he found himself wondering about what ifs again. The idea of being married to a woman like Sam would have come as a shock if Daniel hadn't already encountered another alternate reality in which they'd been engaged. Now, it simply intrigued him…

After a moment of hesitation he reached out slowly, giving her the time to back away but she didn't. She simply held his gaze. He pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, before trailing his thumb over her cheek. "Sam…"

She brushed the spot he'd just touched and ducked her head, blushing self-consciously. "It's sunblock. A mixture of minerals and mud. You wouldn't believe how quickly we get sunburn."

"You and Bra'tac?" He asked, raising his brows. That old coot was more tanned than he was and he doubted it was possible for the Jaffa to even get sunburn.

"Uh, yes," she said, avoiding his gaze.

Jack watched her, noticing the alien sunblock on her face, neck, and hands for the first time. He felt like an idiot and kicked his pack. "I should have brought you some. Sunblock, I mean."

"That's okay."

"I didn't even think about it."

She smiled and put a hand on his arm. "That's probably because you don't need it with a tan like that."

He shook his head, sighing. "No, I meant I didn't even think to bring you anything. Food, sunblock, BDUs, toiletries…"

"While I appreciate the offer, I don't think BDUs are a good idea. They'd be too _Tau'ri_ , according to Bra'tac."

"But Bra'tac is treating you okay?"

Her smile grew brighter as she looked over to where all the Jaffa were assembled. "Oh yeah, he's been great. We get along well, despite our differences."

"Good, I'm glad." He frowned, his mind still stuck at his mistake. There were probably tons of things she needed or could use and was just being polite about it. Maybe she'd even expected him to bring her some basic necessities… "Teal'c doesn't have any sunblock either," he mused aloud. "Daniel and Kershaw do, but they've already left."

"Jack, it's fine. Besides, the alien goo seems to work much better than anything I've ever bought on Earth. Don't worry about it."

"You sure? I could dial up Earth and…"

"And what? Requisition some toiletries from General Hammond?"

"Right." He acknowledged her skepticism and knew she was right. He didn't like being unprepared and was mad with himself over his shortcomings. Not only did he forget to bring her some stuff from Earth, but he also rubbed her nose in the fact that he could just dial home while she had to stay away. That had to be hell on her, especially when she was in possession of the GDO and IDC he gave her. "I'd give you an MRE, but that's probably the only thing you don't miss."

She smiled at his lame joke and leaned closer. "Actually, the only things I really miss are underwear, boots, a proper bed and my toothbrush. Don't get me wrong, Bra'tac got me these little chewing sticks for my dental hygiene, but it's not the same."

Jack dove into his pack and retrieved his kit. "It's mine, but it's got to be better than chewing sticks," he said, offering her his toothbrush. "It's relatively new. Had to get a new pack and everything after Hathor. But you should probably clean it with some boiled water or something. Oh! I have some water purification tablets too."

"I'll take the toothbrush," she said, beaming. "But you can keep the tablets. I made a portable water filter and it works like a charm. No nasty after taste, either."

"Take the toothpaste, too," he urged her. He'd only opened it a week or two ago. "That tube should last you a few months, unless you plan to share it with all of the Jaffa Rebels."

Sam laughed and he could see some of the old Sam shine through. "No, I'll be keeping it all to myself. It's gonna be hell to give up once I run out, though."

Jack placed the tube in her hand and closed her fingers over it. "How about we make a deal? You ration that tube of toothpaste and I'll make sure to get you home before you run out."

"What?"

"I told you I'd find a way. Hammond and I've been working on a plan since I got back. We've pretty much laid all the groundwork but there are some other factors at play."

"Like what?"

"We know there's an ongoing operation whose purpose it is to steal advanced alien technology. I asked the Asgard to check in with their highly advanced friends to find out what's been stolen so far. Thor said hi, by the way and he was impressed by your repair of his Hammer."

Sam blushed and chuckled softly, squeezing his arm with her free hand. "Somehow, I doubt it. It was a crude fix and I wouldn't be surprised if it won't last very long."

He couldn't help but smile back, a warm feeling spreading inside of him at the way she looked at him. "The, um, plan is gonna take some time," he said, trying to stay on topic. Quickly, he relayed the highlights of the plan to her. "Now, it's really important for you and Bra'tac not to approach me, call out or whatever if you happen to come across me with a different team sometime soon."

"Because you're going to infiltrate Grieves' operation."

"Yeah."

"How long do you think it will take?"

He shrugged, "A couple of months at least. I'm getting to the acting out phase and then it needs to get bad enough for Hammond to force me into retirement. We can't rush that or it'll look staged. Then I need to wait for Maybourne or whoever to approach me and that could take weeks or even months, especially if they're suspicious and want to observe me for a while."

She nodded slowly and blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs. "That's a long time."

"I know." He wondered if the pained and wistful look on her face were about her dad. Did she know he had cancer? He didn't think so, but Jacob never specified when he'd found out or if he'd shared it with her. He was tempted to tell her that her dad didn't buy the cover story and asked him for help, but Jack knew that had more to do with him than Sam. What good would it do for her to know her dad was dying if she couldn't get back to him anyway? It would only make everything harder on her and neither he nor Jacob wanted that for her. No, this was something he had to keep to himself, for her sake.

"Three to four months."

"What?"

She looked at him with a smile that lacked its usual warmth. "Three to four months is how long a tube of toothpaste usually lasts for me."

"Three to four months," he repeated, nodding.

"You'll come and get me?"

Jack reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. "I promise." When she kept staring at him intently he frowned and leaned in, wondering what was bothering her. "Sam? Is there something else?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, shaking her head. "No, never mind. It's nothing. Well, not nothing. But not relevant, right now. I'm sorry, I'm babbling."

"You're tired. C'mon," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's go see what Bra'tac and Teal'c are up to with those kids. Maybe you can rest in one of the tents if they're gonna take much longer."

"I don't think that's a good idea." She grabbed his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "I need to get back."

He looked at her questioningly. "To the Rebel Jaffa?"

She avoided his gaze but nodded, "I have… certain obligations."

"Obligations. Right. Let's go then."


	7. Chapter 7

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **June 30, 1999**

The call to come in had come just after a late dinner and was vague enough for Jack to rush over to the SGC. Daniel's car had already been in the parking lot but that wasn't unusual – the man practically lived on base. Jack hadn't seen any sign of Kershaw but he recalled her mentioning her car breaking down over the weekend, so perhaps she'd gotten a cab. Or maybe a ride by Makepeace. Jack made a face at the thought.

He stuffed his civvies in his locker and slipped on his BDU jacket before leaving the locker room. On his way to the briefing room he swung by Teal'c's quarters but the Jaffa wasn't there, so he headed for the elevator. Jack was mildly surprised to find half his team already present in the briefing room. Teal'c lived on base, so that was to be expected. But usually it was Daniel and not Kershaw who was on base long before him. So, he walked up to the table and interrupted the conversation – well, it was mostly Kershaw talking and Teal'c listening. "So, where's Daniel?"

"In the infirmary with General Hammond, Sir."

He raised a brow at his 2IC who'd straightened up in her seat. "Why? He was on downtime-"

"He is uninjured, O'Neill," Teal'c said, turning to face him. "Approximately forty minutes ago, the stargate activated and a Sagan box impacted on the iris. It was the one we presented to Kasuf."

"Did we make contact?"

"Indeed. However, it was not Kasuf but one of his trusted relatives. He suffered mild injuries from an attack instigated by the Goa'uld Amaunet."

Jack plopped down in the chair next to the Jaffa and blew out a breath. "Sha're's snake attacked Abydonians?"

"She took them hostage, Sir. Tobay barely managed to escape alive. General Hammond insisted Tobay went to the infirmary to get checked out."

"And Daniel's with him?"

"Tobay of Abydos was in shock and could not relay much information. General Hammond deemed it wise for Daniel Jackson to be present, to reassure and calm him."

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded in understanding, "Yeah, makes sense. So, I guess we wait until they return."

"Indeed."

Silence reigned in the briefing room. Teal'c leaned back in his chair and Jack suspected he was kel'no'reeming with his eyes open, but Kershaw was simply staring at the table top. He was tempted to break the silence by making small talk, ask her about her car maybe, but knew he shouldn't. The past couple of weeks – months, really – he'd worked hard to distance himself from his team in preparation of his undercover mission.

Jack didn't even want to think about how he was going to reconnect with his teammates afterwards.

Daniel barely spoke to him these days and Kershaw only responded to questions and orders. Teal'c, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it all in his stride, which only convinced him that the Jaffa suspected something was at play and T was merely waiting it out. He'd spotted the first sign of understanding on that training planet before the two of them had met up with Sam and Bra'tac. Ever since, Teal'c seemed even more understanding or perhaps he was simply compensating for Daniel and Kershaw. Either way, Jack knew he knew and had told Hammond as much. The General told him to simply keep up the act and not feed the Jaffa's suspicions. As if he was doing it on purpose – Teal'c was just far too experienced in this game to not notice.

The silence was broken when General Hammond came up the spiral staircase and entered the briefing room. "Good, you're all here SG-1. Doctor Jackson is going to stay in the infirmary with Tobay while I brief you on your upcoming mission. They'll both be joining you later, once Doctor Fraiser has given Tobay the all clear."

"Teal'c and Kershaw already filled me in on Tobay's presence and Amaunet's attack, Sir."

"Good, Colonel. Tobay told us that Amaunet attacked Abydos with Horus Guards and captured the survivors. They were transporting them to a planet we've already registered as P8X-873 in our database-"

Jack frowned, "That designation doesn't ring a bell."

"I don't think we've been there yet, Sir."

"The Lieutenant is correct. None of our teams have gone there yet, but it matched the coordinates Tobay gave us. He managed to escape on that planet and gated back to Abydos to retrieve the Sagan box and contact us per Kasuf's instructions," Hammond explained.

"Tobay of Abydos was certain Amaunet was accompanied by Horus Guards?"

Jack looked to Teal'c and nodded, "He's right, Sir. That's… odd. So far, we've only seen Hathor use different kinds of Jaffa and she had that whole bad breath thing going on."

The General winced and shifted in his chair. "It looks like Apophis' death and the lack of Serpent Guards were enough for Heru'ur to overpower Amaunet. As far as we and Tobay know, Klorel is still alive but Amaunet has switched sides and is now with Heru'ur."

"Christ," Jack muttered. No wonder Daniel preferred staying up in the infirmary; it had to have come as a shock to learn Sha're was now forced to become another Goa'uld's 'mate' and he couldn't blame his friend for not needing to hear it again. Jack didn't know about the details, but from what little Teal'c had let slip over the years he knew enough to know that wasn't the kind of fate you'd wish on someone like Sha're – or Sam, for that matter.

"Exactly, Colonel," Hammond said in a heavy voice, sympathy written all over his face.

Kershaw pursed her lips, tapping a pen on her notebook. "What would they want with the Abydonians?"

Jack shrugged. "Who knows? What do the Goa'uld ever want with humans? Slave labor, perhaps, or new hosts."

"What of the child?"

"Teal'c?"

The Jaffa turned to him and explained, "The child Sha're birthed on Abydos. Daniel Jackson and I managed to fool both Heru'ur and Apophis about its whereabouts after we gave the boy to Kasuf. If Kasuf has been captured by Amaunet and her Horus Guards, then what of the child?"

"Tobay didn't know. He didn't see what happened but he knows Kasuf nor the nursemaid had the boy when they were taken from Abydos."

"With all due respect, General," Kerhsaw said, "that's very sad but shouldn't we focus on the Abydonians and the motives Amaunet and Heru'ur have for taking them? The Abydonians are our allies and while I'm sympathetic to Daniel, Apophis' baby is not our problem."

Before Jack could say anything about her callous remark about an innocent child, Teal'c spoke up with concern written on his unusually expressive face. "That may not be true, Lieutenant Kershaw. If two hosts were to mate and produce a child, that child would contain all the knowledge of the Goa'uld."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jack said, stunned.

"Teal'c? Care to explain what that means, exactly?"

"Such children are called _harsesis_ , General Hammond. These children are hunted down and destroyed by the Goa'uld with great impunity for the genetic memory of the Goa'uld would be passed onto the child through its DNA. Even a mere attempt to create a _harsesis_ is punishable by death."

Jack stared at him for a moment, racking his brain. "Wait, you're saying Sha're's baby has _all_ the knowledge of the Goa'uld?"

"Indeed."

"You didn't think this was important to tell us before today, Teal'c?"

Teal'c inclined his head, looking apologetic. "I apologize, General Hammond. I did not think it was relevant while the child was in Kasuf's custody."

"What the hell are you saying, Teal'c?" Jack asked, not needing to fake his anger. "You've known all this time that the baby you and Daniel handed over to Kasuf was _harsesis_?"

"You do realize what this could mean for us, don't you, son?"

"Indeed I do, General Hammond," Teal'c said. "However, I did not think it prudent to share this information for fear of the child and Kasuf becoming a target by unscrupulous people."

Kershaw sighed in the sudden silence. "I'm just… shocked. That kid really knows _everything_? I mean, how's that even possible?"

"We've seen stranger things," Jack said.

"I'm not sure we have, Colonel. We'll continue this discussion later, though. Right now, we need to focus on the mission at hand. SG-1 will go to P8X-873 with Tobay to free the Abydonians. We have to assume Amaunet or at the very least her Horus Guards are still present, so you need to be in and out quickly without being detected. Tobay said he didn't see any ships or canons like the ones Hathor had, but it's possible they still had to arrive or were hidden."

"And the child, General Hammond?"

"If Kasuf and the baby are still there, you're to bring them back to Earth with you, Teal'c."

Jack was curious about the reluctance he thought he could see on the Jaffa's face, but figured it would have to wait until later. "Understood, Sir. We'll gate there, free the Abydonians and come home with Kasuf and the baby."

"I will go down to the infirmary to see if Doctor Jackson and Tobay are ready for travel. Dismissed."

* * *

 **Fannay**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam reached for the tube of toothpaste and smiled, placing it in her bag. Even now, weeks later, Jack's gesture warmed her heart. Not to mention the minty freshness and how clean her teeth felt. God, she'd missed her toothpaste and toothbrush! She only allowed herself to use the toothpaste once a day, using the chewing sticks at other times and washing her mouth with a water sodium bicarbonate solution.

Ife had made a face and tears promptly appeared in her eyes when Sam had tried to brush her small teeth with a miniscule amount of toothpaste. Her daughter had all her teeth and a molar and a half now, but apparently she preferred chewing sticks. As far as Sam could tell, Ife's teeth were in good condition so she wasn't going to force it on her. It wasn't as if she ate or drank that much stuff that could affect her teeth; Sam mostly breastfed her and she'd occasionally give her some fruit and sometimes a slice of meat.

Ife pulled on her robe, "Momma."

"I'm almost done packing," she said, looking down into a pair of dark blue eyes. "Then I'll carry you all the way to the stargate."

" _Chap-ai_ ," she said.

" _Chaapa'ai_ ," Sam corrected with a smile. "That's right. We're leaving for a new place today."

Ife was unimpressed and tugged on her robes again. "Up."

"In a minute, sweetie." Sam moved through the small hut and grabbed a few personal effects she'd forgotten to pack. The pelt Bra'tac had made for her barely fit in the bag, because of the woolen blanket and dress she'd been given by the Fannay for services rendered. Once everything was packed, she sat down to put her boots on over her new woolen socks.

"Momma." Ife toddled over, reaching out her arms.

Smiling, she pulled her daughter onto her lap and hugged her tight. "I've got you."

Ife sighed and snuggled closer.

Sam enjoyed the moment, burying her nose in her daughter's dark locks. She felt a familiar stab of guilt at the thought of Jack missing out on so much of Ife's life – and Ife not knowing her dad. But he'd promised to take her home soon before she and Bra'tac left. Their goodbye hadn't been anything spectacular, no kiss on the cheek this time. She'd been wary with Bra'tac, Teal'c and all the young rebels present, but Jack had still given her a brief, but tight, hug.

She'd almost told him about Ife when she tried to explain why she couldn't stay very long, but something had held her back. Probably the same thing that had stopped her from asking him if he knew anything about her dad…

" _Sbai!"_

Ife's squeal pulled Sam from her thoughts and she looked up to see Bra'tac watching them from the door opening. "Did you get everything?"

"Indeed."

She sighed and loosened her hold on her daughter. "Ife still needs her leather socks and then we're good to go, too."

Bra'tac picked them up from the hook near the door and handed them to her. "The Fannay are grateful for your assistance."

"I know. It was fun to repair their machinery." She smiled at the reminder and put the socks on Ife's feet. The tech had been relatively primitive but gave her something to do and she'd enjoyed using her brain to find ways to fix the damage with such simple tools. Back home, in her garage in DC she had a toolbox with more advanced tools!

"You are skilled."

"I like pulling things apart and putting them back together."

"Why?"

She shrugged and gave Ife a kiss, before putting her on her socked feet. "I don't know. It's a hobby and one that used to come in handy with some of my work."

"I see," Bra'tac said, even though he clearly didn't. "If our presence was not required then perhaps-"

"It's fine," she said, standing up. "I don't mind. I've grown used to the constant traveling. Besides, I've pretty much fixed all the interesting stuff already, anyway."

"Very well, then. One of the women has prepared a meal to take with us."

Sam slipped on her cloak and put a smaller on over Ife's head. It pooled at the girl's feet, but Sam or Bra'tac would be carrying her back to the stargate and at least that way she'd be warm in the cold temperatures. "A care package? Nice."

* * *

 **P8X-783**  
 **Heru'ur's Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

As soon as they exited the stargate, Jack and his team took cover. There were no hostiles in sight but they were alert as they waited for SG-2 and -3 to follow. The event horizon rippled a few times and after a quick head count Jack realized all members of the first three SG teams were present and accounted for as well as Tobay. They didn't want to alert the Horus Guards or Amaunet to their presence, so he instructed the other teams with hand signals before they went to explore the area near the gate.

Makepeace took his Marines to secure the perimeter and Ferretti posted his men in the immediate surroundings because SG-2 would be holding the gate and DHD, in case a hasty retreat was needed.

Jack glanced over to where Daniel and Tobay were standing and ran over to join them. "Which way did they go?"

Tobay pointed towards a well beaten path. "Over there, O'Neill. I fled that way," he added, pointing in the opposite direction.

"That's good," he said. "Let's go."

Jack took the lead with Teal'c behind him and Kershaw brought up the rear. Tobay hadn't seen anything other than the direction into which the group left, so they'd given him a zat and told him to stay close to Kershaw and Teal'c. Jack had talked to Daniel before they left, making sure to remind the archaeologist that Amaunet was still in control of Sha're and not to run off to do something stupid. He wasn't sure he'd actually listen, so Jack had instructed Teal'c to keep an eye on Daniel, too.

They stalked through the forested area until the trees suddenly made way for open grassy plains. Jack cursed their luck – or perhaps it was a strategic movement by Amaunet – and signaled for everyone to halt. He and Teal'c crouched down and went to the end of the bank, peering down at the area. Jack needed his monocular to get a good look at their surroundings but he could spot what looked like a camp a klick or two away. "Teal'c?"

"I see it as well, O'Neill."

Jack used his radio to let the other two team leaders know what was going on and Makepeace immediately volunteered to join them as backup. Ferretti's team could hold the perimeter and the gate on their own.

It didn't take long for SG-3 to catch up with them and then they made their way down to the bank, heading towards the camp. The open plain made them easy targets but at least the same went for the hostiles. They'd barely made it a klick before they saw Jaffa heading their way. Staff blasts were fired their way but the distance was too great to even come close.

For once, the so-called primitive _Tau'ri_ weapons were an advantage. The Jaffa went down easily and while Jack knew that Hammond would have preferred a stealthier approach, it simply couldn't go down any other way. There were a few near-misses of staff blasts as they came closer to the camp but then Kershaw threw a grenade at the last group of hostiles and they were blown apart.

"Nice one, Lieutenant." The compliment had slipped out before he could check himself, but she simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Remember, we're here to free the Abydonians, people. Keep your eyes and ears open as we get closer."

They moved into the camp, stepping around and over the fallen Jaffa. Jack kicked their staff weapons aside before checking on a few, but they were all dead. He grimaced when there was movement in the pouch of one dead Jaffa and pulled the zat from his thigh holster to shoot at the pouch. He wasn't going to endanger any of his people, even if the likeliness of any of the symbiotes being mature enough to take hosts was low.

Spotting a wooden pen where a group of people were being held, Jack walked over and pulled a charge from his vest. "Let's go, move," he warned them. When they had all moved to the back he put the explosive on the prison's lock. "Clear!"

He ducked away before it blew up and then turned back to the door. "Let's go. Come on, folks. Move out…"

Kasuf suddenly moved past him and Jack saw him rush up to Daniel.

"Good son, you came!"

Daniel smiled and indicated Tobay, "Yes, good father, we got your message."

Jack was about to turn back to the other Abydians and check out the rest of the camp when he heard Kasuf tell Daniel that she had taken the boy.

"The boy?" Daniel questioned.

"The son of my daughter. She took the boy."

Jack went over to them. If Amaunet had taken the boy on Abydos then they could be anywhere by now! "Come on, Daniel. We gotta go."

Daniel, however, turned to Kasuf. "You said she took him."

"There!" Kasuf said, pointing in the opposite direction.

Jack followed his line of sight and saw a tent in the distance. A woman was standing outside it, watching them. She was too far away for him to ID her, but he was pretty sure that was the Goa'uld in Sha're's body. He wondered why she was just standing there while her hostages fled but before he could even utter a word Daniel dashed off.

"Keep your people together. Go with the people of the _Tau'ri_ ," Daniel yelled over his shoulder, running towards the tent.

Jack couldn't stop him and saw more Jaffa spilling out of the tent. He turned back to Makepeace and Kershaw, "Fall back! Fall back!"

"Sir! What about Daniel?!"

"I'll take care of it. Go, Lieutenant!" He could see she was torn but then Makepeace grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away, to head back towards the gate alongside the fleeing Abydonians.

Jack ran after Daniel, who'd already reached the Goa'uld. He saw him shoot a Jaffa but another one fired his staff weapon and Daniel went down. Suddenly, the Jaffa fell to the ground as well and that was when Jack noticed Teal'c, off to his right, rushing towards Daniel as well.

Amaunet disappeared into the tent and Jack gritted his teeth as Daniel blindly followed her. He quickened his step, but Teal'c beat him to the tent and went after them. Behind him, he could hear a firefight of staff weapons and MP5s and the occasional explosion. He glanced over his shoulder, saw his people holding their ground and made the decision to go after Daniel and Teal'c. Seconds later, he rushed into the tent.

"No Sha're, fight it!" Daniel moaned, kneeling on the ground.

Amaunet was using the ribbon device on him and smirked. "My host cannot help you!"

"Sha're…"

"No!" Jack stopped Teal'c from firing his staff weapon and instead zatted Amaunet, who fell to the ground. He went over to Daniel. "Daniel, are you okay?"

Daniel groaned, rubbing his forehead. "My head…"

"I have secured the Goa'uld Amaunet," Teal'c said, where he was standing over her. "She has lost consciousness but appears in good health otherwise."

"Sha're?"

Jack helped his friend to his feet. "We need to get her to Cimmeria. Use Thor's Hammer to kill the snake."

Teal'c bent down and picked up Sha're's body. "I will carry her to the stargate, from which you may take her to Cimmeria."

"She, um, she said she'd sent the boy away," Daniel said. "Somewhere where the Goa'uld wouldn't find him."

"The System Lords may have discovered his existence," Teal'c suggested, as they moved out of the tent. "They will stop at nothing to kill the child."

Outside, the firefight was over and the ground was littered with Jaffa. Jack turned on his radio, "SG-3-niner, come in."

"We cleared you a path, Jack," Makepeace said jovially.

Jack frowned and looked in the direction of the stargate. "Yeah? Then what's with all the bodies on the ground?" In the distance, he could see Makepeace and Kershaw, near the bank.

"Literally clearing the ground would be grunt work," the Marine said, affronted.

He rolled his eyes and gestured for his teammates to go ahead. "Whatever. Look, Makepeace, I need you and Ferretti to get all the Abydonians home. We've captured Amaunet and are going to take her to Cimmeria."

There was a moment of silence over the radio, before Kershaw's voice sounded. "What about the child?"

"Gone," Daniel replied. "She sent an aide away with the boy."

"Well, we should go after it and bring it back. At the very least we should get blood samples, DNA, br-"

Daniel glared at the radio, "'It'?"

"That's enough, Lieutenant," Jack said, before she'd start listing all the things they could learn from the baby's genetic makeup like she had at the SGC, after their briefing. "Makepeace, take 'er home. We'll meet you later, after a little detour to Cimmeria."


	8. Chapter 8

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **July 16, 1999**

Jack stood in the control room, watching as Daniel walked up the ramp to head back to Abydos and waited for the archaeologist to be swallowed up by the event horizon. "Shut it down," he told one of the techs. He waited until the gate blinked out and the iris was activated, before turning around and heading up the staircase to the briefing room.

To his surprise, Catherine and Major Davis were seated at the briefing room table. Slowing down, he lingered at the top of the stairs. "Am I interrupting something?"

"We were just going over Doctor Langford's report from the foothold situation, Sir," Davis replied.

"Ah."

Catherine smiled at him, "It was all rather exciting."

"Well, yeah," Jack smirked, "if Teal'c hadn't contacted you in DC then Earth would have been the new homeworld to… well, the aliens from P3X-118. Huh. I never caught their name."

"No one did, Colonel," Davis said. "We will simply refer to them as the aliens from P3X-118 in our reports."

"The ugly aliens from P3X-118," Jack amended. "So, Davis, how do you think the brass are going to respond to our request for an addition to the budget to clean alien goo off the gate room walls?"

Catherine rolled her eyes but the Major gamely replied, "I think that's an excellent idea, Sir. Perhaps we can invite the brass and the Senate Appropriations Committee to come take a look at the damage those exploding aliens left behind."

"I knew there was a reason why I liked you, Davis."

"Thank you, Sir."

Jack walked further into the briefing room, past the window looking down over the gate room. From up here, he saw there were still plenty of soot marks and alien goo that hadn't been cleaned up yet and grimaced. "Well, I'm gonna go in to talk to Hammond."

"Jack, wait," Catherine said. "Has Daniel left already?"

"Yeah, he'll be staying on Abydos with Sha're and Kasuf over the weekend."

Davis looked up at that, eyes wide. "It's quite amazing that you managed to find Doctor Jackson's wife, kill the Goa'uld who controlled her and bring her back to her home planet. Very impressive, Colonel."

"She was very lucky in that regard, but the poor girl has been left traumatized by what she went through," Catherine said, shaking her head.

Jack was reminded of the horrific moment Sha're went through Thor's Hammer and cleared his throat before replying. "Yeah, she's got a long road ahead of her."

"But Daniel will be there for her and SG-1 will find her son, too."

"I hope so, Catherine. I really hope so."

"Me too, Colonel," Davis said.

Jack nodded and turned to head for the General's office. The door was closed, but his CO called him in after he'd knocked on it. "Sir?"

Hammond looked up from his desk and smiled upon seeing him. "Ah, Jack. Come in, take a seat."

"I just saw Daniel off to Abydos. It's gonna take time, but I think he and Sha're will be fine eventually."

"Finding her son will probably help in that regard," the General said. "Has SG-1 made any progress in locating the _harsesis_ child?"

It took Jack a moment to realize that it had been the alien Hammond to whom he and his team had reported upon their return. "Um, no. The latest mission was something of a wild goose chase. The remains of a temple we discovered led Daniel to believe we'd found Kheb…the planet Sha're told him about, but that wasn't the case. There was no sign of the baby, Just rain. Much rain…wind, lightning, hail…Did I mention the rain, sir?"

The General steepled his fingers and sighed. "I see."

"Not what we'd hoped for, but there are other planets we can search."

"It's a shame Sha're can't remember the planet's location."

Jack shifted in his chair and shrugged. "Well, I can't blame her. She said there were many images in her mind from when Amaunet was in control. Sounds like either memories or flashbacks. But most of them are pretty horrific, it's natural for her to block them – consciously or subconsciously."

"What did Kendra say?"

The former host who lived on Cimmeria had helped them when they returned from Thor's labyrinth with a de-snaked Sha're. Daniel and Sha're had stayed with Kendra for a couple of days before Sha're wanted to go back to Abydos to see her people. "She tried to help her through the first few days, but Kendra said her time as a host paled into comparison to what Sha're had gone through. To be honest, I think Sha're is a mess right now and she needs time to heal."

"On Abydos."

"We can't force her to come here, Sir. Seeing her people, her father and Daniel accept her for who she is probably does a hell of a lot more for her psyche right now than any of MacKenzie's therapy could do."

Hammond sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's a shame we don't have Master Bra'tac and Captain Carter at our disposal."

"Sir?"

"From what you've told me so far about your meetings with Captain Carter, it seems like she has somehow managed to deal with what she's gone through at the hands of the Goa'uld. I don't doubt Master Bra'tac had something to do with that and Sha're could benefit from their experience."

It was true that Sam had seemed well both times he'd met up with her, but Jack was pretty sure her ordeal had left marks on her. Perhaps nothing visible, yet permanent. He'd been tortured and sometimes, those experiences still haunted him. Considering the Goa'uld had a sarcophagus at their disposal, the torture Sam underwent was probably worse and who knew what she'd gone through when Herit was in control of her. "We've got to keep in mind that Captain Carter managed to escape the Goa'uld in less than three months. Sha're was taken two and a half years ago."

"I'm well aware," Hammond said. "But perhaps Master Bra'tac could tell us more about this Kheb, too."

"I don't know, Sir. Teal'c said Bra'tac had only mentioned it to him once and that it was more of a myth than an actual location."

The General nodded and looked down at his notes. "Yes, something about the Goa'uld fearing and despising Kheb and the souls of old Jaffa going there. Could it have something to do with the Asgard?"

Jack shrugged noncommittally. "I doubt it. Both Goa'uld and Jaffa are supposedly scared of the Asgard's power and technology. Besides, Daniel didn't mention any links to Norse mythology or stuff like that. But I'll ask Thor when he drops by next time."

"Let's hope that will be sometime soon."

"Yeah," he said, eager to get a report on what the Asgard had found out about stolen alien tech, "let's hope so."

A look of understanding flashed on Hammond's face. "If it takes much longer, we'll go ahead without the intel. We'll get her back soon, son."

He knew his CO meant well and he was grateful, because he didn't know how much longer he could sit around, waiting for a mission that never seemed to come. He'd made a promise to Sam and he intended to keep it. They didn't _need_ the intel from the Asgard but it would make things easier. "I know, I just don't like the way things are right now."

"With your team?"

"I've been treating them like shit mostly, but that's not what Daniel needs right now. With everything going on with Sha're and her son, it feels like kicking him when he's already down."

"We knew this was going to be difficult going in."

"Yes, Sir."

Hammond checked his watch and sighed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Jack, I have to get going. Jacob Carter isn't doing too well and I'd like to see him before visiting hours are over. We'll talk more when I get back."

* * *

 **Krullo**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam ran through the woods, low-hanging branches scratching her face and obscuring her vision. She knew Bra'tac was just a few meters in front of her, but she could barely see him between the trees, rain and darkness. Her left foot landed in a deep puddle and the water splashed up, hitting her in the face and setting Ife off again.

Wincing, she cupped the back of her daughter's head where she was strapped to her chest and tried to hush her, not breaking her stride. Her breathing was loud in the night air, but Ife's cries were louder and Sam feared the Jaffa chasing them would overhear. "Hush, sweetie."

There was a sudden incline in the terrain and she nearly tripped, just barely managing to keep her balance. But Ife was clinging to her, crying. "Please, just be quiet," she whispered, breathless.

Shouting came from behind them, accompanied by the sound of heavy boots running over the forest floor. Sam tucked Ife's head under her chin and pulled her neckline up as high as possible, hoping it would give her daughter a sense of security as she kept her pressed against her with one hand. It made running harder and she nearly slipped as she ran up the incline, free hand grasping around for something to hold onto. She hissed when she a grabbed a hold of a small outcrop and broke the skin of her hand on its sharp edge.

" _Sām_!"

Relief washed over her at Bra'tac's voice from somewhere nearby. "I'm coming," she said in a loud whisper.

"They are gaining terrain. We must hurry."

She rolled her eyes at the warning – as if she hadn't noticed – but made a serious attempt at catching up with him. Her hand stung and her calf muscles protested at the steep angle, her bag an unwelcome weight at her back. Ife had stopped her loud cries, though, and simply whimpered her protest at their hurried escape.

By the time the ground beneath her leveled, Sam was out of breath, her sides hurt and her lungs were burning. She took a moment to catch her breath, wiping the rain and sweat from her face as she tried to get a glimpse of Bra'tac.

"Come!" He appeared from between the bushes, maybe five meters from her right and beckoned her over. "Hurry."

She rubbed soothing circles on Ife's back and moved in Bra'tac's direction when, all of a sudden, a staff blast whizzed by her head. "Holy Hannah!"

" _Sām_!"

Ducking, she nearly tripped over her own two feet in her haste to reach Bra'tac. He grabbed her free arm the moment she was in reach and pulled her farther into the bushes, easily navigating them around the woods in the dark. They'd been running for at least fifteen minutes when Ife started crying again, squirming against Sam, and Bra'tac found a hiding spot for them. It was a shallow ditch, half of it hidden under a log and almost entirely invisible from the other side – the direction from which the Jaffa were coming.

"Get in," he said, jumping into it himself and dropping their belonging to the ground. He parted some of the underbrush to make it easier for her to step into the ditch, before reaching up to her a hand.

Sam jumped in, mindful of her daughter. "What the hell was that all about? Christ Bra'tac! You said the Krulloan Jaffa would be eager to join the Rebellion now that Apophis is dead and Klorel is losing power! Instead they turned on us the moment we appeared – they could have killed Ife if I hadn't activated the hand device's shield in time!"

"They are no longer Apophis' Jaffa," Bra'tac said calmly. "They bore the falcon symbol of Heru'ur."

"What?"

"As the son of Hathor and Ra, Heru'ur a powerful System Lord and much feared conqueror, even among the Goa'uld, and a bitter enemy of both Apophis and Sok-"

"I know who he is," Sam hissed, interrupting him. "So, what are you saying, that Heru'ur is taking over Apophis' domain?"

Bra'tac grabbed their waterskins and started filling them with water from the water filter. "It is a possibility. Perhaps the whispers Moac shared about Amaunet are true as well."

"She switched sides, just like that?"

"To ensure her own survival most likely."

Sam sighed, half a mind on Doctor Jackson's wife – Amaunet's host – and trying to comfort Ife.

"You are injured." Bra'tac lifted her chin to get a good look on her face in the barely there moonlight, while Sam fussed over her daughter.

"Just some scratches. Nothing serious."

He raised an eyebrow and brushed her cheek, before holding up his finger, "There is blood."

Sam turned her hand palm up to show him the cut. "It's from my hand. I'm fine."

"Hm," he said, eyes narrowed in appraisal. "We will abandon your device here and take only as much water as we can carry."

"How far is it?"

"Not far. Drink before we leave and quiet the _sefi_. We cannot afford to rest for long, or the Jaffa will gain on us."

She nodded in understanding and took a large sip of water. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved a shawl and used it to cover Ife from the rain as best as possible. "Let's go, then. Can't let them beat us to the stargate."

Bra'tac smirked at the challenge in her voice and cautiously stood, surveying their immediate surroundings for any hostile activity. Finding none, he grabbed his bag and staff weapon and climbed out of the ditch. "It is safe, for now."

"Okay," she said, before looking down at her daughter. "We're gonna move again, sweetie. It won't be much longer until we're safe. I just need you to be really quiet, okay?"

"We must leave now, _Sām_."

She pressed a kiss to Ife's crown and covered her up again. Grabbing her bag, she climbed out of the ditch with Bra'tac's help. She hissed at his strong grip on her hand, but ignored the pain and the blood she could feel seeping out of the cut. "I'm ready."

They ran off again, Bra'tac taking the lead as he knew the layout of the terrain best. They were taking a different route from when they arrived and in the darkness it was hard to tell for Sam which way to go. She trusted him to get them to the stargate, though.

In the distance, she could hear the search party trying to track them down and hoped they hadn't made the situation worse by taking a moment to rest. But then, without it, she wouldn't have been able to keep going and Ife would have given their position away with her cries.

Her body ached all over from exertion but Sam kept pushing herself, making sure to keep up with Bra'tac for fear of losing sight of him again. The rain was finally letting up and she could see the woods thinning out ahead. More moonlight illuminated the path, making it easier to see where they were going.

She hoped it meant they were getting closer to the stargate.

They ran through the remainder of the trees relatively unscathed and once they made way for a grassy clearing, she realized the sound of pursuit was no longer audible. Hopefully, because the distance between them and the Jaffa was too great and not because they'd gone into stealth mode.

"Do you see it?"

She looked up to where he was pointing and could see the gleam of the stargate. It was off to the north west and she recalled seeing a cliff off to the north east when they first arrived on the planet. Gulping, she looked down, over the edge. It wasn't as much a cliff as a high bank, she realized. But there was a river between them and the stargate down below. "Bra'tac…"

"It is the quickest way, _Sām_." He squeezed her shoulder in encouragement as he, too, eyed the river. "Heru'ur's Jaffa will not expect us to approach the stargate from here and their route will delay them, allowing us to cross the water and-"

"Get a head start, I know," she said.

Bra'tac narrowed his eyes when a horn sounded. "The Jaffa are requesting a cavalry near the stargate. We must hurry."

She let him go first, watching how he found a way down the steep incline. It turned out to be easier to descend than she expected, even though her sandals were wet and slippery. She slipped and skidded down the bank, nearly losing her balance once. Ife remained quiet throughout it all, to Sam's relief.

No more than fifteen minutes later she was standing next to Bra'tac, perspiring and breathing hard but otherwise fine. "I'm good," she said, waving off whatever he was about to say. "Let's keep going."

"Very well." He dashed off towards the river, searching for the narrowest part to cross.

"How bad is the current?"

Bra'tac looked up when she stepped up next to him and 'hm'ed'. "We will manage. Do you wish for me to carry the _sefi_?"

She handed him her bag instead. "I can do it. She's finally settled down, I don't want to upset her anymore than I have to."

"I will go first in case you are in need of assistance."

Observing him wade through the waist-high water was nerve wracking but he didn't seem to be concerned at all. Sam hoped there weren't any alien crocodiles lurking nearby. She was pretty sure the river wasn't big enough for such creatures, though. When Bra'tac reached the other side and signaled for her to follow, she cautiously stepped into the water.

It was cold.

The current wasn't as strong as she feared, but still she moved anxiously. Step for step. The water didn't reach Ife but one misstep… Sam shook off the thought, focusing instead on where Bra'tac was waiting for them. He reached out the butt of his staff weapon when she came closer. Grabbing it, she let him pull and guide her to him.

"Are you well?"

She grimaced as she stepped out of the water. "I'm cold and my clothes are soaked, but otherwise fine."

He lifted both their packs, handing hers over and hoisting his own onto his back. "Good. _Sefi_?"

"Fine. You?"

"The water was colder than expected, but we can warm to a fire once we have reached a safe haven."

"I can't wait."

Without another word, they set off in the direction of the stargate. A quick glance in all directions showed no signs of hostiles, but Sam was wary anyway. The planet and its Jaffa gave her the creeps; the sooner they left, the better. The wind had picked up – or maybe she was more aware of it with her clothes soaked – and her feet slipped inside her wet sandals. Gritting her teeth, she kept going, one hand on Ife's back and the other free in case she needed to pull out her _zat'nik'tel_.

Bra'tac was going too fast for her to keep up and he turned back, eyes wide as he looked over her shoulder. "They are coming, _Sām_."

Despite her better judgment, she looked over her shoulder and saw a bunch of Jaffa on the bank as well as a group to the south. They were approaching fast. She took comfort from the fact they were all on foot but wasn't foolish enough to think aerial support wouldn't follow, so she pushed herself to keep going. The stargate was so close…

She heard the snap before she felt the weight fall off and it took her a moment to realize she'd lost her bag. Skidding to a halt, she looked back, torn.

"Come!"

"My bag!"

Bra'tac pulled on her arm, "Leave it!"

"The too- I mean, my things," she said, quickly. "The GDO and my journal with the list of planets we've recruited from."

"We must leave, now."

Sam knew it was illogical to go back for her bag, but she had so few things already. The GDO was her only way home in case of emergency, the journal with her writing of everything she'd experienced and… the toothpaste and toothbrush Jack gave her as a promise to come back soon. The clothes, toiletries and blankets she could, eventually, replace. "I'll get it."

"I will," Bra'tac said, none too happy.

"No! Go, dial the stargate!" She pushed him away, in the direction of the stargate, before running back for her bag. It was only a few meters but the Jaffa were approaching, firing their staff weapons in her direction.

Just as she grabbed the bag, a staff blast whizzed past her, sending dirt and other debris flying. She raised her arm instinctively to protect her face and Ife, even though she was protected by the force shield of her ribbon device. "Damn it," she muttered, slipping her arms through the bag's straps. Turning on her feet, she sprinted like she never had before, feeling a jolt of adrenaline as her legs ate up the distance between her and the stargate.

Bra'tac had just reached the DHD and she saw him punching in the address when, out of the blue, a bright white light exploded around her with a deafening sound. Sam instinctively wrapped herself around Ife as the blast threw her to the ground.

Her head impacted something hard and for a moment she just saw blackness. Then she blinked and looked up into the sky. The moon was there, although it appeared dimmer than before. Sand was drifting around her, in her eyes, her nose and in her mouth. She licked her dry lips and made a face at the taste of dirt and blood.

Ife!

She looked down to where her arms were still wrapped around her daughter. The scarf was gone and Sam could see Ife crying, tears running down her little face but she didn't hear a thing aside from the damn ringing in her ears. "Ife? Ife!"

Suddenly, someone grabbed one of her arms and pulled her up to her feet. It felt like the world turned on its axis and she nearly threw up, wobbling on her feet. She brought a hand up to her head and encountered blood and grime. Blinking took a lot of effort, but eventually she recognized Bra'tac standing in front of her. "Bra'tac!"

He eyed her strangely, shaking her by the shoulders but she couldn't tell what he was saying. Then, he grabbed her by the arm and just started pulling her along. She tried to keep up as he ran towards the stargate, her stomach still roiling and her head felt like it was about to burst. Ife was frantically moving against her but there was no time to calm her, because Bra'tac just kept going until they reached the stone steps of the stargate's platform.

Sam blinked at the bright event horizon, startled when chips of stone suddenly flew into the air. A glance over her shoulder showed the Jaffa rapidly approaching, but she was too dazed to move. Bra'tac appeared in front of her again and he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her through the stargate with him.

On the other side, she stumbled out of the wormhole, disorientated and unsteady on her feet. Bra'tac relinquished his grip on her and moved over to the DHD. Sam tried calling out to him again, but still couldn't hear a thing. She watched as he hit the red button on the DHD, disengaging the wormhole they'd just exited. Then he started dialing again and gestured wildly at her.

It took her a moment to realize what he meant. She hit the floor, just seconds before the kawoosh – only slightly audible – appeared overhead. "Damn it!"

Bra'tac ignored her cursing, or perhaps he couldn't hear a thing either, and came back up the steps and helped her up. He pushed her back into the newly formed event horizon and they exited on a bright, sunny planet which hurt her eyes and her head.

" _Sām_?"

"I heard that!" She cried excitedly, grabbing him by the arm. "My ears are still ringing though!"

He said something that sounded like grenade and helped her down the platform, before disengaging and dialing another planet. He guided her through the wormhole again, where he repeated the process.

By the time they reached the tenth planet, he simply disengaged the wormhole and pushed her down to sit on the steps. Sighing, she took off the bag for which she'd risked so much and rolled her shoulders. Sam idly wondered if there was some kind of redial button on the DHD that she didn't know about, because Bra'tac always insisted on traveling to several different planets when he suspected they were being followed.

Bra'tac tipped up her chin to examine the wounds on her face and shook his head. "You will live."

"Gee, thanks," she said dryly. "Oh, hey. The ringing is almost gone." The words had barely left her lips or she was reminded of her crying daughter. Untying the sling holding her in place, Sam lifted Ife in a hug and started whispering reassuring words to her.

"Your force shield protected you both from the blast. The effects are temporary and will wear off. _Sefi_ is most likely startled and not in pain."

"She's going to be fine," Sam murmured, nuzzling her daughter's hair. "Aren't you, Ife?"

Bra'tac stood up, touching her shoulder. "Come, let's find shelter and rest. We are safe now."

* * *

 **Academy Hospital**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **July 17, 1999**

After getting home last night, Jack had called Jacob's number but there had been no answer. Hammond's words about Sam's dad had worried him. He'd hoped his CO's reference to visiting hours had something to do with out-patient treatment and Hammond's own packed schedule. However, when he'd been unable to reach Jacob, he'd swung by his place and noticed the mail hadn't been collected in at least a few days. From there, it hadn't taken long to find out what had happened and where Jacob was hospitalized.

Sighing, Jack made his way through the hospital's corridors in search of the right department. He already knew in which room Jacob was staying and hoped he'd be awake. After two wrong turns, Jack finally found the room and knocked softly on the open door, before stepping inside.

Jacob Carter was lying in the bed with several wires and IVs attached to him. He looked up at the sound and peered at his guest. It took a moment for recognition to wash over him. "Jack!"

"Hey Jacob," Jack said, stepping farther into the room and closing the door behind him. "Hope you don't mind me dropping by."

"It's about damn time."

Surprised, he raised his hands. "Hammond happened to mention you'd taken a turn for the worse yesterday. Figured I shouldn't come straight here, in case he was still here."

Jacob sat up in the bed with visible effort and leaned over to the nightstand to retrieve a pair of glasses. "George visited me yesterday. Damn man still didn't tell me anything about Sam."

"Well, if he did he'd have to answer to folks very high up on the ladder."

"And you don't?"

Taking a plastic chair from the corner, Jack set it down near the bed and took a seat. "I don't have the same ambitions or responsibilities as Hammond."

"So, you don't care, is what you're saying."

He shrugged and stretched out his legs. "I can afford to cross the line; if someone finds out, I'll be forced to retire and some other colonel will replace me, but if they force him into retirement we might lose the whole program."

After taking a sip of water, Jacob pinned him with a hard look. "It's that important, huh?"

"Yeah, it really is."

"And George is in charge."

"He's damn good at it, too. I know he tried to get you clearance, Jacob-"

The retired General raised a hand and cut him off, "I know. He told me and I believe him. In that respect, anyway. Anything about my daughter on the other hand…"

"Speaking of which," Jack said slowly, "Sam is doing good, under the circumstances."

"You know this for a fact?"

"We met up recently and I spoke to her. She's okay and working hard to fulfill the mission."

Jacob was silent for a moment, absentmindedly scratching at where one of the IVs entered a vein in the bend of his elbow. "Is she in good health?"

Jack recalled their meeting and the differences he'd noticed since last time as well as compared to Doctor Carter. Sam had been clad in robes from neck to feet, but he'd suspected she lost quite a bit of weight until he hugged her goodbye – while thinner, her body felt like it existed mostly of toned muscle and her grip on him had been strong too. "Yes."

"She's safe?"

"As safe as she can be."

He nodded briskly, understanding the dangers of undercover missions. "And she's getting closer to completing her mission?"

"Recruiting rebels as we speak," Jack replied. He hadn't shared the specifics of the mission with Sam's dad, but he knew he had to give him something. "I set up a meet with her to deliver more locals who wanted to join her cause."

"Well, I'll be damned." Jacob smiled, shaking his head as if he couldn't quite believe it. "I don't need to know the details to understand this is big. You wouldn't keep the whole world in the dark about her status or leave her in that hell hole if it wasn't. I've always known my little girl has a lot of potential and while I'd rather have seen her join NASA, I'm proud of her."

"You should be, she's pretty amazing."

"Yes, she is. So, is she going to be the one who brings peace to the Middle East?"

Jack made a face, hating the lie about Sam's whereabouts or true purpose. She was working on a much larger scale – both literally and figuratively – and had gone through a hell of a lot more than Jacob or anyone outside of the Program could ever imagine or comprehend. "Well, not peace maybe, but she'll be bringing out a rebellion. Hopefully, that'll lead to peace, eventually."

Jacob nodded slowly, gazing off into the distance. He was quiet for a moment, until he spoke up again. "You said you spoke with her… was it just about the mission?"

"She couldn't stay long. Obligations, she said," Jack explained. "But we mostly talked about her mission and the progress I've made on this side."

"You didn't tell her about me?"

"No."

A weak smile appeared on Jacob's face as he turned to him. "Good. I don't want her to worry about me. She has a job to do and she doesn't need the distraction."

Jack sighed and took a good look at the man on the hospital bed. Jacob looked pale, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes and the hollows of his cheeks. But most of all, he looked frail. The last time they'd met, he'd looked thin – thinner than in DC – and tired, but now it looked like a gust of wind could bowl him over. "How _are_ you doing, Jacob?"

"Well, they gave up on chemo a long time ago. The experimental treatment they were giving me seemed to help, but the latest test results showed it's not working anymore."

"Now what?"

Jacob barked a laugh, but ended up in a coughing fit. He eagerly took the cup of water Jack offered him and took a sip. "I, ah," he cleared his throat. "Now, nothing. It's the end of the road for me, Jack."

"Just like that?"

"I told my doctor to blast the little buggers with everything they had – they did and now here I am, wasting away in a hospital bed."

Jack winced at the harsh truth, but it didn't surprise him. Hell, considering the man's condition he was surprised he'd lasted this long. "At least it's a nice hospital bed. I mean, it looks comfy and you've got this room all to yourself."

A small smile appeared on Jacob's face. "The perks of being a retired two-star general."

"Ah, I guess that explains why I'm always stuck in a crappy, overcrowded infirmary with a Napoleonic power monger as a doctor and a bunch of nurses with an unhealthy obsession for big, honkin' needles," he said.

"Oh yes, you'll notice the upgrade once you make general."

"Sweet."

Jacob smirked, "Of course, you could just try not to land in the infirmary too often."

Jack blinked at him, feigning indignation. "Who says I spend a lot of time in the infirmary?"

"You've been in there a couple of times in the short time I know you. Hell, I figured you were in there again when I tried to call you last week and couldn't get a hold of you."

"Oh, no. There was a little chemical spill on the base and we were locked down. Quarantine. They had to clean up the mess before they even considered clearing us."

"Right. I'm sure you work with a lot of dangerous chemicals in deep space radar telemetry," Jacob said dryly.

Jack quirked an eyebrow and smirked, "Oh, you have no idea."

"Next time George visits I'll tell him you two need to work on your cover stories."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't."

Jack leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, Jacob, I'll be going on a mission myself soon. Undercover. I'm waiting for the go-ahead but it won't be long now."

"Is this related to Sam's mission?"

"Yeah, it is."

Jacob turned his dark gaze on him, gauging. "Is it dangerous?"

He shrugged, "Only if they realize I'm an undercover operative."

"How long?"

"Probably a few weeks, maybe even months. Depends on how long it'll take before they approach me."

Sighing, Jacob glanced away, focusing on where his hands lay in his lap. "Ah yes, gotta let them come to you. Can't rush those things."

"No, you can't. So, I'll probably be incommunicado soon."

"I'll be here when you get back."

Jack leaned back and took in the hospital bed and the frail man in it. "Yeah?"

"Gotta be here for when my little girl comes home," Jacob replied, with determination in his eyes.

"Good."

"I'll see you on your return, Jack. Godspeed."

* * *

 **A/N:** We started a fic club in a twitter DM group in which someone suggests a fic that everyone reads and then they'll discuss it. First one is one of mine (not my choice)! If you want to join, tweet txwebbo about the #SJficclub. First deadline is Nov 7th, so plenty of time to read. Also, it's almost Secret Santa time, so if you want to join Sam/Jack Secret Santa (in which you get a person assigned for whom you'll create a S/J fic/art/vid and get one in return from someone else) email samjacksecretsanta ASAP!


	9. Chapter 9

**Tollana**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**  
 **August 18, 1999**

Jack was silently fuming as Klorel and Zipacna were trying to convince the Triad that Klorel was the rightful owner of Skaara's body. He eyed the Nox Lya – the supposedly neutral third archon – and wondered whether she was falling for the Goa'uld's arguments. Daniel had already hushed him a few times or taken over whenever he was making an argument, so he kept quiet for the moment and let the Goa'uld give their ridiculous little speech. It wouldn't do any good to upset the Tollans – or Lya – again by talking out of turn or ignoring another unexplained rule of the Triad.

"…by that law, they were Goa'uld property. Lord Klorel merely took what was already his."

He gritted his teeth when Zippy followed up his statement with a haughty glance in his direction, smirking. Teal'c had informed them Zippy was – or used to be – one of Apophis' most loyal underlords when he first stepped into the Triad room and bowed to Klorel. Jack didn't need to be told though; a dying Apophis had told him all about Zipacna and his penchant for torture when he'd asked the snake about Sam. It wasn't difficult to picture that smirking rat in a cell with Sam… He shuddered and fisted his hands to prevent himself from doing something stupid.

Like charging at Zippy and ripping his head off.

Instead of returning the look, Jack languidly stretched and shifted in his seat to get more comfortable, knowing the gesture would infuriate the Goa'uld. Before the Triad had started, he'd sent Teal'c and Kershaw out to investigate what Zippy's cronies were up to and he was almost hoping it was something nefarious just to see one of the Tollans' superior weapons take them out.

"I would first like to hear Skaara's perspective," High Chancellor Travell said.

Travell was the head of the Tollans' Curia, the highest governing body of Tollana, so Jack figured her position was similar to that of the President. When that arrogant Omoc had first appeared at the SGC to inform them about the Triad, Jack had asked Catherine to charm the man while he spoke to Hammond in private. The General told him to behave and try to get an audience with whomever was in charge on Tollana to find out whether they knew more about theft of advanced alien tech.

"I was born to this body," Skaara started, after the light on the Tollan device he was wearing turned blue, indicating the host was speaking. "Free of the demon Klorel. He stole my body. On Abydos, I would have married, had children, grown old and died. The Goa'uld took more than my body…he stole my life."

The device was pretty neat, Jack thought, in case they ever captured another Goa'uld or if one infiltrated someone at the SGC. Not that the Tollans would share the technology with them. They still had that arrogance bug, even if Narim, who seemed to be the most normal one among them, got along well with Daniel and was friendly to the rest of the team. It pissed Jack off that they wouldn't even share such a device or that weapons disabler thingy they encountered earlier. Offensive weapons he could understand and even those sweet ion cannons that were capable of destroying multiple Goa'uld motherships, considering they could be altered to attack others. But the collar thing – a detachment device, according to Omoc – and weapons disablers were harmless. One would give the host the opportunity to speak and the other ensured all parties were unarmed and leveled the playing field – not that Jack needed weapons to kill someone…

"Human archons," Travell said, gesturing towards them.

Jack was jerked from his thoughts and watched as Daniel stood to defend Skaara.

"Skaara, when you were born, did your people believe you were slaves?"

"No."

"Just so we can all be clear, who was Ra?"

"We believed him to be an evil god."

Daniel nodded, "So he enslaved your people through superstition and fear?"

"Until you came, yes," Skaara said.

Zipacna took over questioning, comparing humans hunting animals because they were deemed of less value to Goa'uld taking humans as host.

Jack jumped at his flawed argument the moment Travell gave them the opportunity to speak up, but Daniel soon took over with some ass kissing to the High Chancellor and smooth words to disprove Zippy's claims.

"The method of gaining the knowledge is not in question. We were able to obtain it. You were not," Zipacna said in haughty tone.

"Oh, please," Jack said, rolling his eyes.

"Gentlemen, we seem to have wandered away from the central topic: which seeker has priority over this body."

Daniel took Travell's statement as an opportunity, "If I may, your Eminence," he said, "I don't think we've ventured away from the central topic at all. What we're trying to point out is that the Goa'uld steal what they possess… as they have, in fact, stolen Skaara's body."

Jack had to give him credit for turning the discussion around to use it as their defense. "Can I," he looked to his friend, "sorry Daniel… can I say something?" When Daniel sat down, he turned back to the young Abydonian in front of him. "Skaara, you once told me you'd rather die than live another day as a Goa'uld. Why?"

"What I suffer each day is worse than death."

"For example." He hated having to prompt Skaara into reliving his horrors and certainly wasn't looking forward to hearing about them, but he knew those arrogant Tollans needed to hear it. They were too far removed from the war with the Goa'uld – or any war in their recent history – to fully understand that kind of pain and suffering.

Skaara was visibly upset when he spoke, but his voice strong, "I remember the demon stretching out my hand to kill Daniel, the husband of my sister. And O'Neill, too, when he tried to save me and his world." He looked down, ashamed. "The demon… he and Apophis wished to learn the secrets of the Tau'ri and when they failed to do so by torture, the demon took O'Neill's woman and made her a host to his mate. There was nothing I could do to stop it."

"I demand that the human stay on topic!"

Jack had blanched at Skaara's very public statement about Sam and was almost grateful for Zippy to butt in and change the subject. No one seemed to be looking to him at him, wondering what the Abydonian meant with "O'Neill's woman". Well, no one but Daniel, that was. He cleared his throat and glared at Zipacna, determined to continue as if nothing was amiss. "It is on topic. You just want to avoid talking about all the nasty stuff he's witnessed."

"The host witnesses nothing, since nothing of the host survives."

At the callous remark Skaara looked away, visibly struggling with his emotions as tears filled his eyes.

"Um, your Eminence, can we request a recess? So that Skaara might recover from the retelling of his atrocious experiences," Daniel said, ever the diplomat.

Travell's gaze traveled to the seeker and she nodded once. "It is not standard practice during the Triad but then it has been a long time since we have dealt with one such as this, with two warring over ownership of the same body. Very well, we will… recess," she said, frowning at the word. "We will reconvene after the evening meal."

Jack jumped to his feet and wagged a finger at Zippy who was approaching Skaara. "Ack! You had your little talk with Klorel at the beginning, Skaara is staying in control now and he's coming with us."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, _Tau'ri_."

"C'mon Skaara, let's take a little break."

The Abydonian wiped at his eyes and nodded, walking over to them. "O'Neill-"

Jack put an arm around his shoulders and steered him towards the exit. "It's okay, Skaara. We'll go somewhere more private and then we can talk."

Daniel joined them, smiling encouragingly at his brother-in-law, before walking ahead to lead the way to the suite SG-1 had been assigned.

Kershaw and Teal'c were already in the suite and got to their feet when they entered. "O'Neill."

"We think the Goa'uld are using the Triad to buy time so that they can prepare for an attack on Tollana, Sir," Kershaw said.

"Teal'c?"

The Jaffa inclined his head. "Indeed, we believe we saw them attempting to sabotage the ion cannons."

"Well, ain't that just great," Jack groused.

Hesitantly, Skaara spoke up. "My demon… he knows nothing of such a plan, but I believe it is not out of the realm of possibilities."

Daniel squeezed his shoulder in sympathy, "I know. Zipacna seems to really want to get Klorel out of here."

"With Apophis gone, Zipacna must be counting on Klorel to defeat the forces of Heru'ur," Teal'c speculated.

"Why don't you and Kershaw go inform the Tollans of your observations, T."

The Lieutenant nodded an affirmative, "Yes, Sir."

"Very well, O'Neill."

Daniel and Jack exchanged glances before the archaeologist gestured for the Abydonian to take a seat. "So, um, Skaara, Narim told us you crashed here on Tollana two days ago, but I don't know how long your, er, demon has been evading Heru'ur… have you heard anything about Sha're?"

Skaara looked down, visibly struggling. "Apophis made her host to his mate, Amaunet. She bore his child and I could do nothing…" His face crumbled and he reached for Daniel, "Please forgive me, Daniel!"

"There's nothing to forgive," Daniel said, "it was not your doing. You were not in control of your body and couldn't help her, Skaara. I know this and so does Sha're."

"Sha're?"

"We found her and freed her from her demon," Daniel elaborated.

Jack nodded when an overwhelmed Skaara looked to him. "It's true. She's on Abydos with Kasuf, recovering from what she went through."

"Why are you not with her, Daniel?"

It was Daniel's turn to look away, pain etched on his face. "It's difficult to explain. She… Sha're needs to be with her people on Abydos now."

Skaara pulled back, frowning. "You have abandoned her because of what Apophis and Amaunet made her do?"

"No! I still love her and we've spent time on Abydos together, but for now she needs some space to deal with what happened. In the meantime, we're looking for her son."

"The _harsesis_."

"He's just an innocent baby," Daniel said softly. "And he's Sha're's flesh and blood. Yours too."

Jack was surprised at Skaara's reaction at the mention of the boy but kept it to himself and instead let the two of them deal with their thoughts while he watched Skaara. It had been almost two years since he last saw him, aboard the Goa'uld mothership. At the time, he'd tried to save the Abydonian but mostly interacted with Klorel and had been forced to leave the Goa'uld on the ship to save his team.

The Tollan detachment device ensured Skaara was in charge of his body at the moment and it gave Jack the opportunity to observe him without the influence of his Goa'uld. Whenever Klorel was in charge, his whole body language and the way he carried himself changed. Now, Skaara resembled the Abydonian boy he'd met about four years ago more, except he wasn't as carefree and was a young man. The softness in his face was gone, he was taller and had a tormented look about him.

" _Makka khaā ȧ sen't_ ," Skaara said in a broken voice, looking up pleadingly at Daniel. " _M_ _aāmaā Sha're seki kha shep't er ȧ_?"

"There is nothing to forgive; you didn't abandon her."

"But I did! Sha're is my sister and I could not protect her. Not from the demon Amaunet or when Apophis sent her away when she was with child."

Daniel sat down across from Skaara and leaned forward, his voice strong and full of determination, "You and Sha're were both victims of your demons. She worries about you, just like she used to when you were both still on Abydos. All she will care about when you return is that you're safe from the demon. That her brother has returned home."

"He's right," Jack said. "Once this Triad is over, you can go home and be with your family. You can finally get the life you deserve: get married, have kids and grow old on Abydos."

Skaara looked up at him, pain etched on his face. "I do not deserve such a life, O'Neill."

"Yeah, you do. Trust me."

"No!" Skaara jumped up and started pacing angrily. "The demon… he made me do things. Bad things."

Daniel frowned and got up, standing a few feet away from Skaara to let him walk off his anger. "Look, Skaara, we've been over this. What Klorel did was not your fault. He controlled your body, but it wasn't your doing."

"Every day I fight him and I listened, learned. I could not win. I was too weak…"

Jack waved off Daniel when the archaeologist was gonna make another attempt and instead walked over to Skaara himself, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're not weak. You went through hell these past two years and still you managed to overpower Klorel and ask the Tollans to get rid of the Goa'uld. That's a strength not many people have, Skaara."

"He's right, Skaara," Daniel chimed in. "You and Sha're are both incredibly strong. Jack and I are gonna do our best to convince the Triad to set you free and then you can go home."

"I'm not gonna let that overdressed slimy bastard win. We're gonna get rid of Klorel and preferably Zipacna, too. You have my word," Jack said.

The words had barely left his mouth or Teal'c and Kershaw entered the room, carrying trays laden with food.

"Narim was not convinced, Sir," Kershaw said.

Teal'c placed three trays on the table. "He listened to our arguments and relayed them to the Curia, but I do not believe it was with conviction."

Jack made a face. "They didn't believe it?"

"No, Sir." Kershaw took a seat at the table and smiled at Skaara when he came closer, eyeing the food hungrily. "We should probably eat first, Colonel."

"We've got to resume the Triad after dinner, so maybe eat and talk?" Daniel suggested, also taking a seat.

Teal'c stepped closer to Jack while the others started scooping food onto their plates. "We were told you and Daniel Jackson would be disqualified from Triad if we continue to pursue the matter. Skaara would be represented by a new archon, not one of his or our choosing."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just… stay away from Zippy and his gaggle of Goa'uld, okay?"

"I know the Goa'uld, O'Neill. They will attack."

"But I don't see a choice here. If we keep pursuing the issue, Skaara's going to be represented by God knows who and then we won't stand a chance in hell. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Regrettably, I must disagree with you in this situation, O'Neill. I believe we are faced with the loss of Skaara, one individual, versus the death of many Tollans and possibly ourselves."

Observing the table, Jack could tell this was the first time in a long time that Skaara finally relaxed. It was like a weight had been lifted off the Abydonian's shoulders and he suddenly looked like the boy Jack had met a few years ago again. Shy around Kershaw and even Daniel, but still showing a smile every now and then. How could he possibly sacrifice Skaara for a bunch of arrogant Tollans who didn't even _want_ their help? "The Tollans did bring down a couple of motherships. I think they'll be okay."

"The Tollan have not been at war in many generations. They do not think strategically. I believe that to be a fatal flaw. Allow Lieutenant Kershaw and myself to continue monitoring the Goa'uld contingent, in case of-"

"No," he said, glancing at the Jaffa. "You've got your orders. Stand down."

Teal'c looked as upset and frustrated as he ever did but inclined his head in acknowledgment of the order and turned around, heading for their teammates and Skaara.

Jack took a deep breath, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Hell, the order to ignore Zippy might actually help fool Teal'c into thinking he'd lost it when it was time to go rogue. Still, it didn't sit well with him. But right now, Skaara's safety came first. Besides, it was unlikely the Goa'uld would stick around once Skaara was gone.

Perhaps it was time to meet with Travell and move up his timetable. Get Skaara the hell out of there and remove the risk of Zippy turning on the Tollans. It wasn't like the Triad was the only way to free Skaara of Klorel…

* * *

It took Jack a while but eventually he managed to track down Travell's whereabouts, hopefully without tipping anyone off. No one had followed him, at least. The team was taking care of Skaara and the Tollans were too naïve – or perhaps too arrogant – to even consider he was up to no good. He knocked and waited for the door to open.

"It is highly inappropriate of you to come to me during Triad, Colonel," Travell said, surprised. "If this is an attempt to influence the outcome of Triad, it is a feeble attempt indeed."

"It's not," he said, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at her assumption.

She narrowed her eyes, "It would merely result in your and Doctor Jackson's disqualification as Skaara's archons."

"I'm not here about the trial."

"Triad."

He shrugged, "Tomayto, tomahto."

Travell frowned in confusion. "A Triad, Colonel."

"I know," he sighed, "can I come in?"

She pursed her lips, weighing her options. "Very well. You must not mention Klorel or Skaara. If you do, I will be forced to report the matter to the other archons."

Jack entered when she stepped aside and followed her to a seating area. "Yeah, that's fine. I'm not here to talk about that stuff. Although I do think it would have been the polite thing to warn us a freaking Goa'uld and his associates were gonna be here when your people were trying to get us to come over and disabled our weapons without warning."

"I believe you already expressed your displeasure about the matter, Colonel."

"Yes, well, I don't think one can express it often enough in this case." He plopped down in one of the chairs, hiding a grimace when the seat wasn't as cushy as it looked. Of course, it was Tollan furniture, so they probably made it to be functional rather than comfortable. "So…"

Travell sighed in much the same way Daniel often did when he was trying to keep the natives calm and at ease. "What is the reason of your visit, Colonel?"

"I'm just gonna get right to it."

"Please do."

He shifted to get more comfortable and waited until she was seated, too. "A while ago, we found out that a rogue operation on Earth was using our second stargate to steal advanced alien technology. At the time, my team retrieved the device-"

"The Touchstone from Madrona."

"Yeah… you know about that?"

Unexpectedly, Travell laughed at him. "There's no need to look so surprised, Colonel. We are allies of the Asgard as well."

Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Figures. So, Thor already stopped by on his way home? He was supposed to get back to us ASAP, but it's been a while and we haven't heard anything yet."

"The Supreme Commander inquired whether some of our technology had been misappropriated some time ago. However, he did not specify it were the _Tau'ri_ who might have been responsible."

"He didn't?"

Her lips twitched for a moment, before she replied, "The Supreme Commander may have implied your people were possibly involved…"

"Let me guess, if he did another Triad would have been required?"

"Not a Triad, but indeed a similar process to investigate the truth of the matter."

Jack nodded, "Ah, right. Well, we're not afraid to 'fess up and take our responsibility."

"And why have you come to me, Colonel?"

"Well, with you being the head honcho around here, I figured it was time we had a little talk."

Travell had a look of understanding on her face as she regarded him. "You wish to know what we discussed with Supreme Commander Thor."

"That'd be a good start. It's not like Thor's rushing back to inform us and in the meantime, that rogue operation is still, um, in operation."

"Your people have not captured them yet?"

"They escaped through the second stargate and we didn't get a look at the address," he explained, grimacing at the memory. They'd been so close! God, how he'd love to give that asshole Grieves what he deserved… if only Kershaw had caught the glyphs on the DHD. "General Hammond and I spoke to Thor about our plan, though."

The High Chancellor got to her feet and walked over to a side table to pour herself something to drink. "I believe he mentioned something about infiltration."

Jack moved to join her when she gestured for him to take a glass as well. "Yeah. General Hammond and I discussed it and we've decided that I'm the best person to infiltrate the operation." He accepted the drink and started explaining the plan he and his CO had come up with and what kind of help they needed to succeed.

"And you will return all the stolen technology you find?"

"If the Asgard can help us retrieve it and find the rightful owners, yeah. We don't know what kind of records they keep, but I think it's safe to say we should be able to find some kind of information about the origin of the items. If not, the Asgard or possibly you or the Nox might know to whom it belongs."

"You would willingly hand over this technology, even if it could help you in defeating the Goa'uld?"

"We don't want to win the war with the Goa'uld by stealing. That's not our style and would make us no better than the Goa'uld."

Travell considered his words carefully, taking slow sips of her drink. "These rogue _Tau'ri_ you speak of have not been to Tollana. It would not be possible, because until recently we did not have a stargate."

Jack made a face at the memory of Daniel praising Narim and his people for their ingenuity and advances for building their own stargate. "Right, because you built it yourselves."

"This region of space did not have one assigned, which means the address of Tollana is not known to anyone but ourselves and the Nox."

"Speaking of which, I haven't had the chance to talk to Lya, but do you happen to know if the Nox are missing tech too?" He frowned, reminded that they hid their technology from outsiders. "Or know other races whose technology has been stolen?"

"I do not believe that to be the case, Colonel. The Nox seal their stargate when they are not using it and they rarely travel to other planets."

"I know, we suggested it when we met them the first time. That's why we needed Omoc's help to contact them when your people were stranded on Earth."

Travell shook her head slowly, "No, Lya did not confide in me about such a matter, nor did the Asgard."

"Okay… but you're willing to cooperate with us to find the perpetrators?"

"I concur with Supreme Commander Thor and hereby grant you permission. However, I will warn you that it will not be easy: our technology is vastly superior to yours."

Jack rolled his eyes at her attitude, although he was grateful she was willing to help out. "Still got that arrogance bug I see. Don't you worry, Ma'am, I'm sure I can manage to snag some kind of Tollan tech on my way back home. Just don't forget to act outraged and… well, I was gonna say all high and mighty, but I think you've got that down already."

"No need for concern, Colonel. I am certain I will be capable of enforcing your charade. Now, I think it is time for us to return to our duties."

"Yes, I should go see Skaara and my team before we head back to Triad. Thank you, your Eminence."

"You are most welcome, Colonel."


	10. Chapter 10

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **August 19, 1999**

Jack stumbled onto the ramp, barely managing to keep Skaara up as they exited the wormhole. Coming to a halt, he shifted the Abydonian's weight and briefly released the grip he had on his waist to hold up his hand to the armed SFs. "Lower your weapons, he's a friendly!"

"Colonel O'Neill!" Hammond's voice rang through the gate room, the intercom doing nothing to hide the man's anger. "Stand down, people. You stay right there, Colonel."

He swallowed hard but busied himself with keeping an unconscious Skaara upright, to prevent anyone seeing his reaction. Had he taken it too far? Or maybe Hammond had simply missed his calling as an actor…

The blast door to his right opened and a medical team ran inside, led by Doctor Fraiser. She barely looked at him, immediately ordering her people to take Skaara and put him on the gurney. "What happened, Colonel O'Neill? How long has he been unconscious?"

"Um," Jack slowly stepped down the ramp, checking his watch. "I took him to Cimmeria, got him desnaked by Thor's Hammer. He collapsed after it did its thing, just like Sha're. But I'm guessing his body hadn't healed entirely from his crash on Tollana and that's why he's out cold now. It took me about two hours to get him back to the gate and he came to a couple of times, drank some water and then was out of it again."

"We'll take it from here, Sir," Fraiser said, pushing him aside and turning to her new patient. "Let's get him to the infirmary."

The blast door on the left opened while Fraiser and her team wheeled Skaara out of the gate room on the opposite site. SFs stepped aside and revealed an angry-looking General Hammond. "Colonel, your team arrived here – without you, I might add – over three hours ago. Apparently, you'd taken your things and a _hostage_ and left Tollana in the middle of the night without telling anyone. Or at least, I'd like to think you didn't ask your team to lie for you and that they weren't misguided enough to do so."

Jack winced as Hammond's voice grew in volume. "My team has nothing to do with this, Sir. It was all me. They had no idea."

"Right…"

"Honestly, Sir. I just had to get Skaara out of there. That whole Triad was a charade! They were actually considering letting Skaara live out the rest of his unnaturally long life as a host!"

The General narrowed his eyes at him. "Colonel, the United States is not in the business of interfering in other people's affairs!"

"Oh, give me a break! Since when, Sir?"

"Watch it, Colonel," Hammond said, lowly. "These people's laws in this regard are no different from our own. According to Doctor Jackson, Tollan law dictates that they have to hear arguments from both parties before a request to be freed from a Goa'uld can be granted, if the Goa'uld is unwilling."

Jack threw up his hands, well aware of their audience. "With all due respect, Sir, but do you hear yourself? Those Goa'uld are nothing but parasites, who take hosts without any regard for them simply because they can! Of course that snake isn't gonna agree to let Skaara go!"

"And that is exactly why the Tollans held a Triad!"

"Which is ludicrous! I wasn't gonna take the chance that those arrogant idiots would be fooled by Zipacna's arguments, so I took Skaara to Cimmeria and got rid of that snake!"

General Hammond took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "And you really think that's the best way of dealing with our allies, Colonel?"

Jack huffed, "Oh please! Allies! The only reason they're still talking to us is because we saved the technologically superior butts of some of their people on their first planet. They don't think as highly of us as you seem to do of them, Sir."

"Colonel-"

"It's true! We save their asses and they treat us like we're idiots! Teal'c tries to warn them about Zippy being up to no good and they threaten to replace Daniel and me as Skaara's representatives! They were never interested in the truth or doing what is right-"

"Oh, but they do, Colonel," Hammond said. "I just met with two members of the Tollan High Council."

Jack had known Travell would contact the SGC, but he hadn't expected her to move so fast. Still, it felt good to finally put their plan into motion. "Ah."

"Yes, they had quite a bit to tell me about some missing technology."

"So, they only care about things that directly affect them, eh?"

The General stared at him for a moment, as if lost for words, before he broke the silence that had come over the gate room. "By God Jack, you've really crossed the line here."

He released his pack and reached into it to retrieve the Tollan weapon disabler he'd pulled off a wall on his way out. "It's the thing the Tollan used to disable our weapons."

"You stole it."

"I like to think of it as borrowed, Sir. The eggheads can figure out how to reproduce it and we'll give it back."

Hammond yanked the device from his hands, looking like he was struggling with his self-control. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Just hours ago I was defending you to High Chancellor Travel and her fellow Curia member and here you are, proudly presenting me with stolen technology?!"

"Sir-"

"Colonel, you don't seem to understand how serious this matter is. You have committed a courtmartiable offense!"

"Why? Our core mission is to go through that Gate and find technologies we can use to defend against Goa'uld incursion. Am I right?"

"You are bordering on insubordination! We do not steal from friendlies!"

Jack tried hard to keep from showing his mortification, even if the theft – granted, not the abduction of Skaara, that had been all him – had been approved by Travell. But he had a part to play and dropped his pack, waving his arms dramatically, "Well, with no due respect, General, that's just plain stupid! And since the Pentagon won't approve our backup program, we have no choice!"

"Colonel, do not go there…"

"We have no choice but to take whatever steps we need to get what we need," he shouted.

Hammond actually looked pretty terrifying at this point and Jack could almost hear the SFs gasp at their altercation. "As long as I am in command of the SGC, we will hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, Colonel!"

"And when the Goa'uld wipe us out because we have nothing with which to defend ourselves, I'm sure we'll all feel great about ourselves and our high, moral standards!"

"You are out of line! Colonel O'Neill, I am hereby relieving you of your command. You are to report to the infirmary and stay there until I send for you."

"No holding cell, Sir?" He asked snidely.

The General took one intimidating step closer, pulling himself up to his full height and spoke in a deceptively calm voice, "That could very well be your next stop if you say another word. Now get down the infirmary and submit yourself to a complete examination. Don't do anything stupid, Colonel, or I'll be forced to have you escorted throughout the base."

Jack glared at his CO, fighting the impulse to apologize, and stuck to his role. "Sure, whatever," he said disrespectfully, turning on his heels and making his way to the infirmary.

* * *

 **Utcha**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam entered the communal building, laundry basket resting against her hip and wiping some locks away from her eyes with her free hand. It was sunny outside and it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the darker indoors, but she quickly spotted the women – Maya and Lefin – she was looking for and walked over. "This is the last load," she said, placing the basket of freshly washed fabrics on the table.

"Thank you."

"Sure," she said, before casting a look around.

"The children are outside."

She followed Maya's directions and with a quick word of thanks, made her way outside. It didn't take her long to find the group of children, including her daughter. Ife was sitting in the mud with a boy her age and a teenage girl was watching over them, talking and playing with them. The other children were similarly spread out over the field, with a few teenagers and young adults looking out for them.

Sam greeted the childminders she passed on her way to her child and once again thanked her lucky stars that she and Bra'tac had stumbled upon the Utchan society about three weeks ago. "Hey," she said, when Ife's minder looked up at her.

"Momma!"

"Ife has been very well behaved, _Nubit_ _Sām_."

Lifting her daughter, Sam cuddled her close before turning to the teenager. "Thanks. I'm just going to steal her for a bit and then I'll bring her back."

It had become their routine to spend some time together in between Sam's tasks and Ife had adjusted remarkably. Sam still found it difficult to leave her behind while she did domestic chores or took on something more challenging like her current irrigation project, but she knew it was good for her daughter to spend time with other children.

It had also become painfully obvious – to Sam at least – that Ife was a bit behind in her physical development compared to the other children that were of similar age. Mentally and verbally she seemed fine, perhaps even a bit ahead of her peers. Sam thought it was because of the circumstances of their lifestyle, which never left much room for Ife to learn things through play and often meant that she'd be carried for hours on end instead of crawling or walking. Not to mention all the times they'd been forced to hide out in caves or shelters, although all that time together with nothing to do but entertain her child by telling stories and talking probably was the reason why Ife wasn't behind developmentally in those areas.

"Momma?"

"Yes, sweetie?" She nuzzled the girl's hair, frowning at the hardened mud in her dark locks, and rubbed a hand over her back. "I'm here, what's wrong?"

"Where is _sbai_?"

Sam stopped when they reached their usual spot somewhere between the village and the stargate and sat down in the long grass, back resting against a tree. "Master Bra'tac is checking on the Rebel Jaffa. He should be back soon, before dinner at least."

Ife sat back in her lap and tugged on her tunic. "Hungwy."

"You always are." She chuckled softly and uncovered her breast. The past two weeks or so, Ife had been more demanding for food. Sam figured it was because she spent most of her days playing outside with other kids and had all the space to run around and wear herself out. Naps were longer now too and she often fell asleep earlier than normal in the evening, although that could be down to the planet's different rotation and finally settling on one planet.

The food on Utcha, however, wasn't as abundant as on previous planets they'd visited. Diets of grains, fruits and vegetables were supplemented with meat from small game - but over the years, the number of animals within a few days walking of the village had become fewer - and occasionally poultry or fish, but the latter were rare since the closest body of water was miles away. Insects were part of the daily diet too and it had taken Sam a few days to screw up the courage to try them, but she knew she needed the extra nutrition, especially with Ife's appetite and the scarcity of solid foods.

"Soon, we'll go back to Earth, where there's plenty of food and toys for you," she said, as she fed her daughter. "I know technically it's not your homeworld, but we'll make sure that's what it says on your birth certificate."

Ife's only response was to look up, blinking her big blue eyes.

"We'll have a place of our own..." Sam trailed off, frowning as she thought about home. "I'm not sure they kept my apartment, but we can get a new one - or maybe a house. One with your own room, with a nice bed, lots of toys and plenty of space. You'll get to meet my dad, Mark and his family and... your daddy."

She sighed and kept talking about what their life might look like once they got to Earth while breastfeeding Ife, even though she knew there were no guarantees. She believed Jack would do what he could to track down Colonel Grieves and whoever he was working for, but she had no idea if his timeframe was in any way realistic. Even if it was, he still couldn't guarantee people would leave her and Ife alone and not insist on endless interrogations and medical exams.

Looking down at Ife – _their_ daughter – she wondered, for the umpteenth time, if she'd made a mistake in not telling him about her. He had a right to know, but she had to admit she didn't know him well enough to guess what his reaction would be. For all she knew, he didn't like or even want kids. However, her biggest concern was that he'd worry about their safety and would try to rush his mission, and end up making mistakes. Or that he'd feel like she was manipulating or trapping him into something he didn't want.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the stargate activating and tensed immediately, although she knew they couldn't be seen from the stargate and the only reason they noticed the activation was because the sound carried well. There was no real need to worry; travelers rarely came to Utcha. She and Bra'tac had been the first in well over a decade from what she could tell about the Utchan's history. It had been more than two generations since Apophis last used the planet – a farming base – for its crops, with his underlord and Jaffa sending the harvests elsewhere by _teltac_ for Apophis' Jaffa armies.

At one point, the _teltac_ didn't make it back, though, and neither did the underlord or Apophis. In the next decade, the remaining Jaffa deserted Utcha or died after their _prim'ta_ matured. Travel by stargate had never been allowed for the humans under Apophis' rule and after he was gone, no one had been able to figure it out – or, as the Elders put it, none were interested in leaving their homeworld.

"Momma," Ife said, unlatching and turning towards the noisy stargate. " _Sbai_?"

Sam barely managed to grab the girl by her arm before she walked off into the direction of the alien device. "Wait, Ife. You can't just walk off like that; you know it's not safe."

Dark eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but Ife remained in place. "But… _sbai_."

"I know," Sam said, as she righted her tunic to cover herself. Bra'tac had been gone for a couple of days, the longest since they'd settled somewhere with Ife. "I know you've missed him, sweetie. But we still have to be careful. If it's Bra'tac he'll know where to find us."

It didn't take long for a lone figure to become visible in the distance and Sam observed him for a bit longer, Ife on her hip, before stepping out of the long grass and into the traveled path. When there were few people present in a wide area, it was relatively simple for her to use her leftover Goa'uld abilities to sense the presence of a symbiote and after all the intense training sessions with Bra'tac, she was able to recognize both his and Ife's presence. Bra'tac had been proud of her – and his own training – at accomplishing it, explaining it was a challenging task. But Sam figured it was easy with Ife because the girl had received part of her naquadah, which made her pretty unique. As for Bra'tac, she thought it was more likely that she recognized him because of all the time spent together and possibly because he was on his last symbiote, which could theoretically change the amount of naquadah in his body.

" _Chel hol,_ _Sām_ ," Bra'tac greeted. He smiled at Ife who had her arms out the moment he was within reach and took her from Sam. _"Ȧkh'rek, sefi?"_

" _Sbai_." Ife hugged him tight, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

"She missed you," Sam needlessly explained.

He grinned, petting the girl's head. "And I both of you."

She smiled and fell in step with him as he headed towards the village. "How are the Rebels?"

"Moac and Shen'ems are coping well in my stead. They inquired about you and the _sefi_."

"That's nice of them," she said noncommittally.

Bra'tac peered at her. "You will not reconsider your decision?"

She shook her head. They had gone over this already, twice. "I told you, I've had enough of hopping from planet to planet, never knowing where we're going or who we might encounter. That last run-in with Heru'ur's Jaffa on Krullo nearly got us killed! I'm not risking Ife's life anymore. Not when we've found a safe place to live here."

"Among humans."

"Among those who don't fear us or will hand us over to the next Goa'uld in charge."

They walked in silence for a while, with Ife the only one making a noise – soft giggles as Bra'tac tickled her sides. By the time they neared the village, he turned to Sam, giving her a onceover. "You are faring well among these people. Still too thin, but more at ease."

It was true. The lifestyle, safety, relaxation and heck, even the clothing – simple trousers with a tunic – had done wonders for her. Ife too. "Knowing my daughter is safe here eases my mind."

"It was most fortuitous we came across the injured boy when we first arrived on this planet."

"Yeah."

Bra'tac scanned the crowd until his gaze landed on the boy, who was maybe five years old, and nodded. "If you had not used the healing device, he would have perished from his injuries. In saving his life, you ensured your own daughter's safety."

Among the Utcha, who were a very honorable people, saving the life of a child meant the family was indebted to their rescuer for as long as the rescuer's own child was alive. Returning the favor by saving that child – Ife – in turn meant the debt was repaid. The same went for if the two families became connected through marriage, but Sam had no intention of marrying anyone or promising her daughter's hand to the boy. Not even when the family in question were two of the Elders. It went against everything she believed in. But she appreciated a safe haven for her daughter, especially on the rare occasions that she had to accompany Bra'tac to another planet. "I did it because he was suffering and I could save him."

"Even more admirable," he said.

"I suppose."

Bra'tac smiled and lifted Ife high in the sky, making her giggle, before he turned back to Sam. "Come, I brought meat."

She was grateful and knew the villagers felt the same way; they rarely ate meat because a hunting trip usually took well over a week and even then there was barely enough food to feed everyone. "You can tell me more about how the Jaffa Rebellion is doing after dinner."

* * *

 **Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**

Doctor Fraiser checked his chart, jotting down some last notes. "There doesn't appear to be anything immediately wrong with you. Your blood pressure, DRE and EEG all seem normal. It'll be a while before I get your hormone levels and CAT scans back."

Jack finished buttoning his shirt and looked at her. "Great. Let me know what kind of wacky alien stuff you find in there," he said sarcastically.

"Colonel," she sighed, putting the chart away. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy, Doc." He knew word traveled fast in the SGC, hell she'd probably overheard his yelling all the way up to the infirmary, and wasn't surprised that she and her staff were looking at him strangely. He would have been looking strangely at himself if he hadn't known what was really going on. "What about Skaara?"

"He's doing well, Sir. We don't have all of his blood work back yet, but so far I'd say he is simply exhausted. The Goa'uld is dead and it looks like his body is starting the process to absorb it, just like it did with Sha're. We removed the device from around his neck… do you have any idea what it was for?"

"Tollan detachment device. It's, um, supposed to alternatively put the host and Goa'uld in charge." He gestured at his chest, "There's a light in the center, the color indicating who is speaking so the Goa'uld can't pretend to be the host."

"Oh, wow. That sounds pretty impressive."

He shrugged, "The Tollans won't share their tech. But who knows, maybe the egg heads can replicate it."

She frowned in disapproval. "I'm sure General Hammond will insist on returning it to the Tollans, Sir."

"A shame. It came off okay? I didn't want to risk doing any damage, so I left it on."

"No. As a matter of fact, we could simply lift it off him. I suspect the device could somehow detect the death of the Goa'uld and it detaching from his brainstem, which made the collar useless."

Jack nodded in understanding. He'd hoped that would be the case when he took Skaara from Tollana, but decided to keep it in place until there was medical personnel present. "Can I see him? I won't leave, promise."

Fraiser hesitated, gaze darting to the SFs at the door opening. But then her gaze softened and she nodded slowly. "I don't see why not, Sir."

"Where is he?"

The Doc beckoned him over and walked to the other side of the infirmary where she opened the door to a private room. "Try not to keep him up too long if he wakes, Sir."

"Right, because I'm such a chatterbox."

"Exactly," she said, fighting a smile. "I'll leave you two alone. Use the call button if he needs anything."

Jack entered the room and grabbed one of the plastic folding chairs set against the wall to bring over to the bed. Skaara looked younger in sleep, his face relaxed where he rested on the pillow. His long dark hair was bound together and lay to one side and it looked like someone had used a washcloth – still on the nightstand – to wash his face.

Sighing, Jack took a seat and watched over his young friend. He knew there was a good chance the Triad would have gone his way – Lya liked them, after all – but he hadn't been able to risk leaving Skaara behind while he stole some tech and made his way back. If he'd waited until after the Triad and the Tollans' mysterious allies were coming over to remove Klorel from Skaara, then he could have endangered their offer to help. Or Zipacna would have grabbed it as an opportunity to change everyone's minds and Klorel would be granted the right to stay in Skaara for as long as he wanted. Those were risks Jack wasn't willing to take. Travell had already promised his team would be allowed to go home after his theft, so he hadn't been worried about them.

"You are… here."

Jack looked up at Skaara's hoarse voice and was pleased to see his clear gaze. "Yeah. I told you I'd take care of you."

"It was not a dream? The demon…"

"It's dead," he confirmed. "You're free."

"I knew you would come for me, O'Neill. That you would help free me of this demon. And you did."

"Yeah," Jack said, smiling, "I promised and I don't break my promises."

"I feared you would not be my friend anymore, after what I did."

"You mean the attempt to destroy Earth? That wasn't you, it was Apophis and Klorel."

"That, too," Skaara said slowly, fidgeting with the infirmary blanket. "But I could not save your woman. The demon inside of me, he made her like me. He told them to hold her down and I wanted to fight him, to save her. I was too weak. Her demon was Klorel's mate and I-I…"

Jack gritted his teeth and fought to stay calm as Skaara faltered in his explanation. "None of that is your fault."

"He did it because of me."

"Apophis and Klorel did it because they're parasites hellbent on galactic domination and if they can make someone suffer while doing it, they're more than happy to do so."

Skaara shook his head, "No, my demon knew you were my friend and it was his vengeance for your attacks on Apophis and turning the Jaffa."

Frowning, Jack leaned closer and held his gaze, trying to convince him of what Bra'tac and Sam had both confirmed. "They couldn't get Sam's knowledge by torturing her, so they decided to snake her and gain all her knowledge. It didn't have anything to do with you, or me for that matter."

"There is more, O'Neill."

"What do you mean?"

He hesitated, looking down at his lap. "She…" He sighed and tried again, "The demon wanted to hurt me. You and me. He knew that I was wishing for you to return, to save me, and that you would! By taking your woman, he would hurt you and… and, maybe, you would not come for me, anymore."

"Nothing that snake did or would have done, would make me turn my back on you, Skaara," Jack said, reaching out for him.

"You do not know what the demon made me do…"

"Doesn't matter." After a beat, he realized what else Skaara had just said and tried to correct him before he'd tell it to the wrong person, "And she's not 'my woman'. Her name is Sam, or Captain Carter. She's a soldier, just like me."

Skaara frowned, looking at him. "I do not understand. Her demon, she told mine. He, Klorel, he guessed that she belonged to you before he made her like me. That and… my reaction…" He fidgeted, suddenly looking away again. "He could tell I found her appearance pleasing, with eyes like the heavens, hair the color of Abydos and the fairest skin all over. Such exquisite beauty-"

Jack really didn't want to know any more details, not after what he'd already heard about mated Goa'uld from Apophis and Bra'tac, Moac and Teal'c or the bits his dark mind had filled in. "Skaara – don't. It's not a crime to be attracted to a woman. That doesn't mean you wanted Klorel to do what he did."

"But you must know-"

"No, I really don't."

"O'Neill-"

"No, listen, Skaara. Whether or not you thought Sam was attractive had nothing to do with Klorel choosing her to become host to his mate. I don't care what he told you. He was just messing with you, trying to make you feel guilty while it wasn't your fault. He and Apophis would have snaked her regardless, because they wanted the knowledge she had about Earth."

Skaara looked at him with wide eyes, nodding slowly. "You are upset with me."

"Oh, Sk-"

"I do not blame you," he said quickly. "Even after her demon told mine that she was your woman, I did nothing to stop him. You should not have saved me, especially not by betraying the Tollans. I do not deserve it after hurting your woman."

"Sam," Jack reiterated. "Her name's Sam. And she's her own person, she doesn't belong to anyone – not to me, not to Klorel and certainly not to Herit. Sam was the one who fixed the device that killed Klorel and she used it to kill Herit herself."

"She is strong, like you and Daniel. She is a good _smai_ for you, O'Neill."

Groaning, he held up a hand. "She's not... um, not my anything. She's just Sam, Captain Carter. So, could you please just drop it?"

"I do not und-"

"I know, I know," Jack said quickly, before he started again. "Just… call her by her name from now on, okay?"

Skaara looked at him strangely, but inclined his head in agreement. "As you wish, O'Neill."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Biliskner**_  
 **Earth's orbit**  
 **September 2, 1999**

Jack blinked wildly when the white light around him disappeared and thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't actually started undressing for his shower yet. Once his eyes had adjusted to the change in scenery, he realized Thor and General Hammond were standing near the Asgard's console, both looking at him expectantly. "Um, hi."

"Greetings, O'Neill."

"Thor, good to see you again, buddy."

Hammond acknowledged his presence with a nod, "Colonel."

"Retired, remember," Jack said cheekily.

"Don't get too comfortable yet, son. I haven't actually put in the paperwork."

"Getting sloppy, _George_?"

The General rolled his eyes. "It's not worth the hassle for the few weeks you'll be undercover. You know as well as I do that it'd take weeks for it to be processed."

Jack nodded in understanding, "Yeah. It's been what, two weeks, and Maybourne already dropped by to make me an offer to join him."

"This Maybourne is involved with the theft of technology?" Thor asked, blinking curiously.

"Colonel Harry Maybourne, liaison between the NID and the SGC and stationed at the Pentagon. A rat bastard who wouldn't think twice about stealing tech from others under the pretext of saving Earth."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Jack, Supreme Commander. We've had previous dealings with Colonel Maybourne and he's one of the less trustworthy officers in our Air Force, unfortunately."

Thor turned back to Jack. "He visited you at your abode?"

"A couple of days ago. Turned him away, didn't want to seem too eager. He left me his card and told me to page him when I miss the action too much."

"Did he tell you anything about the operation, Colonel?"

Jack shrugged, thinking back to the visit. "Somehow, he heard about our little altercation in the gate room. He said something about paperwork but if you haven't filed my retirement papers yet, then he's got to have ears on the inside. Anyway, he made me an offer to a way to achieve my goals."

"To acquire advanced technology from other races in your galaxy, O'Neill?"

"Yeah. Said I could lead a team through the gate and everything. For the good of our country. I told him it sounded illegal and he reminded me that my actions were very illegal, too."

The General nodded, "Stealing the Tollan technology."

"You know, it would be a lot more superior if it wasn't so easy to steal."

"Colonel."

Jack had the grace to wince at the admonishment. "Sorry, Sir. For that remark, but also my insubordination two weeks ago."

"It was part of the role you had to play, son."

"How will you proceed from here on out, O'Neill?"

He exchanged glances with his CO before replying, "Right now? I'm gonna do nothing. Just… enjoy my retirement. Then, after a week or two I'll contact Maybourne and tell him I'm interested."

Hammond looked to the small alien, still a slightly bewildered look on his face as if he couldn't believe he was aboard a space ship and talking to the Supreme Commander of a highly advanced alien race. "We can't afford to raise any suspicions Colonel Maybourne or his superiors might have by taking him up on his offer too quickly."

"I understand, General Hammond. How long do you expect it will be before Colonel Maybourne is fully satisfied with O'Neill's involvement?"

"Well, he's already approached Jack ahead of schedule, so I don't think it'll take much convincing. Maybe he's in need of a new team commander after Jack shot one of Maybourne's men in Utah."

"Hey, I didn't shoot to kill," Jack reminded him. "I followed your orders, Sir. Not my fault the guy got hit – in the arm, I might add – by my warning shots. He should have just left that Touchstone alone and fled like the others."

Thor's large eyes narrowed at the mention of the Touchstone. "The Madronans were most fortunate that you were able to retrieve their Touchstone. Other, less developed races, have not had your assistance and are in dire need of the protection offered by the stolen technology."

"I just hope we'll be able to retrieve all the tech," he said. "For all we know they've cannibalized some of it or broke it down to reverse engineer it. Getting to their base of operations might not be enough if they're storing the good stuff elsewhere. I'll need time to find out what they do after they get the tech, who's in charge of what and where everything and everyone is located. We have no idea how big this operation is, but from Maybourne's smugness I suspect it's not just the one team we encountered."

"Your superiors will allow this, General Hammond?"

Hammond looked uncharacteristically shifty when he replied, "Well, um, my superiors are not aware of the extent of our mission, Supreme Commander."

Jack almost did a double take at the confession, although he knew it made sense to play their cards close to their chest – he just hadn't expected Hammond to move ahead without authorization. "So, if the paperwork for my retirement hasn't been submitted and the brass don't know what's going on… how would Maybourne know? Do you have any idea who his operative at the SGC could be, Sir?"

"I have some high-ranking suspects in mind… for now, I've told all the team leaders that the Tollans were victims of a crime and are demanding that the perpetrator be dealt with appropriately."

"I'm a criminal?"

"What you've done is clearly a court-martialable offense. I explained I'd normally press charges but with someone of your rank and position as 2IC of the base, that might harm the Program and all the good we've done in the past. So, I offered you early retirement and you took it, knowing there were plenty of black marks on your record just from your time at the SGC…"

"The proverbial straw, Sir?"

Hammond nodded, "You got it."

Thor moved from his console to Jack and held up a white stone-like thing. "I request your permission to implant a transmitter into your skin, O'Neill."

"A tracking device?"

"For when you are taken to the off-world base from which the rogue team operates," Thor explained. "It cannot be detected by Earth technology."

Hammond nodded, "Go ahead, son."

Jack outstretched his arm and watched as the alien placed the stone on his skin, feeling nothing but a strange tingling sensation before the device was removed again. "That's it?"

"I will be able to track you through subspace from now on and uncover the location of the off-world base merely by following your signal. From there, I can retrieve the stolen technology present."

"Just… gimme a headstart, okay? Like I said, I need to make sure there aren't other bases, labs or storage spaces elsewhere."

General Hammond agreed, "And I need you to find out who the mole at the SGC is too, Jack."

"Well, the rogue team is bound to communicate with Maybourne or whoever is pulling their strings somehow... maybe through the mole."

"I can monitor your activity from the planet's orbit in my _Biliskner_ ," Thor started, "including stargate travel, assuming there is a stargate present on the base."

Impressed, Jack tried to come up with some kind of sign to let the alien cavalry know they could start beaming out stolen tech. "How about… can you see which address is dialed?"

"From orbit, yes."

"Then how about you start doing your thing when Earth is dialed? The Rogue NID would never dial Earth on their own and it would be the perfect way to prevent anyone escaping, too."

"That is indeed possible, O'Neill."

Hammond smiled and clasped Jack's shoulder. "Well, then I think all that's left is for me to give the mole the chance to surface."

"You think the mole is on an off-world team, Sir?"

"Yes. Now that you're retired, I'll rotate team leaders to take command of SG-1 every other mission. If that doesn't pan out, I'll start moving around all the people on off-world teams, for as long as necessary."

Jack sighed and reluctantly agreed. He hated the idea of putting his team in harm's way. Well, more than usual, anyway. The threat was supposed to come from off-world enemies, not their own commander. The thought briefly reminded him of Sam and her fateful first off-world mission – the betrayal must have left deep wounds and it was no wonder she'd been so cautious all this time.

"Are you okay, son?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, shaking it off. "Just don't like the idea of having a mole in our midst, never mind putting my team in their hands without their knowledge."

The General's expression softened in sympathy. "Understandable. We won't even know for sure if my suspicions are correct but if they are, then SG-1 is the best equipped to deal with it. They're by far the most experienced team and you and I both know Teal'c is extremely observant."

"What about Makepeace, Sir? According to the grapevine, he and Kershaw are romantically involved…"

"Contrary to popular opinion, I'm actually quite aware of the rumors on my base," he replied, smiling slightly. "Up until now it was of no concern for me, since Lieutenant Kershaw is not in Colonel Makepeace's chain of command. The few times SG-3 has supported SG-1 you were always in charge as the most senior officer. I also recognize the potential for trouble if I were to make him temporary commander of SG-1. It could make the mole suspicious if I skip him, though. So, I spoke to Colonel Makepeace the other day and inquired whether there would be a problem if he were to get command of SG-1. He guaranteed me that would not be the case, as he and Lieutenant Kershaw are not romantically involved."

Jack huffed, "Either he's lying or he dumped her at the prospect of getting the position, since he's one of the few high-ranking officers with plenty of off-world experience."

"Agreed. Don't you worry, Jack, I'll keep an eye on your team."

"Thank you, Sir," he said. "If that was all, I should probably get back home. I'm pretty sure the place is bugged and whoever's listening might get suspicious after such a long shower."

Hammond turned to Thor. "Are you satisfied with our plan, Supreme Commander?"

The Asgard inclined his head. "I am, General Hammond. The Tollans and I have the utmost faith on O'Neill's ability to find the culprits and retrieve the stolen technology."

"No pressure then, eh?"

"You'll do fine, Colonel," the General said.

Jack grimaced but knew he didn't really have a choice. His mission was too important, even if Sam's safety and return hadn't hinged on it. The Rogue NID stealing advanced alien technology from other races was simply unacceptable, especially if it meant Earth's allies would break all ties as a result and someone like Maybourne was involved… "What about you, Sir?"

"I think I can handle it, but I appreciate your concern."

He shrugged and tried not to feel too responsible for the weary look on Hammond's face. Their little altercation in the gate room and its consequences seemed to have taken its toll on his CO. "Yeah well, nothing personal Sir, but you look a little… worse for wear."

Hammond scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "That has nothing to do with you, in case that's what you were thinking," he said gently. "I got a call from the Academy Hospital a few days ago that Jacob Carter – Captain Carter's father – wasn't doing too well. He was diagnosed with terminal lymphoma a while ago and he… h-he passed away. We'd been friends for a long time, Colonel, and even though I knew he wasn't going to get better, it was still a shock."

Jack stared at him for a moment, trying to wrap his brain around it. "Jacob… died?"

"Yesterday."

"Jesus," he muttered.

Hammond was suddenly looking at him with a suspicious glint in his eyes. "I was with him at the Academy Hospital when it happened… he knew it was coming, had known for a while. I think he was relieved I was there."

"I'm sure he was, Sir."

"The strange thing was he asked me to remind you of your promise… I had no idea you two were so well acquainted. Is there something I need to know, Jack?"

Fuck.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, his mind going a mile a minute. Guilt was eating at his conscience. God damn it, he'd known and yet expected Jacob to just hang in there until he'd finished his mission and could bring Sam back.

Jesus, he'd fucked up!

"Jack?"

"Um, no, it's better that you don't know, Sir," he replied.

A look of understanding washed over General Hammond's face and he simply nodded, any suspicions he might have had dying on his tongue. "I see."

* * *

 **Utcha**  
 **Apophis' Domain**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

The sun had already reached its highest point in the sky and it made Sam anxious to visit her little project. She estimated it was a few klicks from the village and until late in the afternoon the walk was incredibly uncomfortable due to the heat. She only had two tunics and wasn't looking forward to wearing her heavy robes when they were soaked with sweat, so she only went there late in the day and made the return trip just in time for dinner. Sometimes, she'd eat in the fields, but she never stayed too long because she wanted to put Ife to bed herself.

She looked up when Maya nudged her and took a basket of fruit from her, replacing the empty one in front of her. Yesterday, most of the morning and afternoon had been spent peeling potatoes and chopping other vegetables, so Sam was pleased with the fruit. The outside was similar to oranges, except they were green like limes and the flesh and juice tasted like strawberries and apples. She liked them and so did Ife and most of the villagers.

The juice from the fruit was what pretty much everyone drank with lunch and throughout most of the day. Water was much scarcer because of the distance to the nearest body of water and before Sam and Bra'tac had arrived, they had no real way of filtering the water and that endangered the health of some with weaker immune systems. Sam reached for the improvised juicer she'd made a few weeks ago. It was a simple design, using a wooden bowl with a sharpened stone in the middle. The natives had used similar stones or sticks and knives to scrape the flesh from the fruit and then ground it in a separate bowl for the juice. She'd simply found a way to fit the rocks into the bowls to make an effective juicer. It saved a lot of time, especially when she had to make enough juice for a whole village.

" _Nubit_ _Sām, kel Bra'tac ḥerā tai'ten sa't?_ "

Bra'tac had volunteered to join a few of the men to check on the traps they'd laid out a few days ago and Ife and some of the other children had gone with them, since there were no predators in the immediate area and the Utchan believed in teaching the children to hunt early on. " _Ȧḥ_ ," she replied, making a vague gesture with her hand to indicate the area beyond the village.

Maya continued babbling about the meal they were preparing, how scarce the food was becoming and how they were lucky that she and Bra'tac were accomplished hunters and could join in the upcoming hunt.

Sometimes, Sam forgot that the Utchan people had been ruled by the Goa'uld for centuries and that even the current population still had the Goa'uld dialect as its mother tongue. It was as if they were stuck… they still spoke the same language, had the same lifestyle and used the same rituals as their ancestors had under Apophis' rule. Except they didn't have the benefit of advanced Goa'uld technology anymore to plant and harvest their crops or optimize their farmland, which resulted in little food for the whole village.

Hopefully, that would soon change with her little project, Sam thought as she juiced some more fruit.

After what felt like forever, she finally hit the bottom of the basket. The last pieces of fruit seemed to take more effort, her hands felt sticky and her fingers were cramping.

" _Set_ _kher_ _shal tek_ , _Nubit_ _Sām_ ," Maya said excitedly, nudging her again.

Sam handed the bowl with juice to Lenfin before looking up in the direction Maya was pointing. Sure enough, the young native men who'd gone to check the traps were heading their way. It took a moment before she caught sight of Bra'tac, but she didn't fully relax until she saw him carrying her daughter on his arm.

"Yeah, they made it back," she mumbled. Some of the other women got up to meet the party halfway, greeting their husbands and children and taking some of the captured animals, but she remained seated knowing Bra'tac didn't need her help. She watched him though, as he talked to some of the other men – humans – and was surprised at how well he seemed to be getting along with them.

"Enough meat for the hunting party," Lefin commented. "Because of you and Master Bra'tac."

The coming days the meat would be prepared and Sam knew the majority of it was for the hunting party, who'd need to keep up their strength for a two-week hunting trip on foot. The promise of a hot meal with some meat was almost enough to make her change her mind about joining the party. Almost. But she couldn't leave Ife for that long, even though she knew she could make a difference because of the tracking and hunting skills Bra'tac had taught her.

Her gaze automatically locked onto Bra'tac who had a dead animal draped over his shoulder and was carrying Ife on his other side. Sam had shown some of the natives how to create snares and had placed them together with Bra'tac a few days ago. That seemed to have paid off. The animal he was carrying was bigger than Ife, probably about the size of a wolf. There were maybe two more of those in over the shoulders of others, two men carried a huge animal strung on a pole between them and smaller game was in the hands of the younger members of the group. The children looked especially proud of their prize.

Sam swallowed hard when she took a closer look at her daughter and saw a rabbit-like animal dangling from her hands. That wasn't what she wanted for her little girl. At that age, Ife was supposed to be dragging a doll or plush toy with her everywhere she went, like Sam's niece used to, not carrying a dead animal by its ears for dinner. It made her heart ache for her daughter whenever she saw her like that, but it wasn't realistic to demand Ife be kept from it either. Not with the lives they led. How many times had she gutted a fish or skinned an animal with Ife nearby? Up until they'd settled on Utcha, it simply hadn't been possible to do those things and keep Ife away from it all…

"We have set more snares after retrieving these," one of the men said, indicating their kills, as they neared the center of the village.

Bra'tac lowered Ife to the ground but spoke to her before she toddled off and she patiently waited until he'd handed his kill over to a group of women who'd been waiting for them to return all day. Sam smiled when she saw Ife follow his example and hand over the small rabbit-like creature she'd been carrying. Bra'tac leaned down to say something else to her, before giving her a gentle push into Sam's direction.

Ife happily headed her way and Sam got to her feet to move towards her, eating up the distance between them with her much larger steps.

"Momma!"

Sam lifted her up in her arms, "Hey sweetie."

"Hungwy!"

"Well, then it's a good thing we're having lunch," she said.

Bra'tac joined them and peered over her shoulder. "You have prepared a meal?"

"It's a light meal. Just some soup, bread and… other stuff."

He smirked knowingly, " _Fetu_?"

Sam nodded wordlessly and, carrying Ife on her hip, walked with him to resume her previous spot at the table. "How much do you think you brought back?"

"Enough for now." Bra'tac eagerly took a bowl and talked about the kinds of animals they'd brought back and how long the meat would last in between spoonfuls of soup.

One of the women started asking him questions about the upcoming hunt and Sam just zoned out, nibbling a piece of bread and watching Ife as she sipped a cup of fruit juice. Drinking from a cup was a new experience and there had been a few incidents in which the juice was spilled last week, but Ife seemed to be getting better at it. Sam was just wary; spilling was fine as long as it ended up on the ground and not Sam's lap.

Ife made some smacking sounds that Sam had learned to interpret as her being done with the sweet juice and she took the cup from her daughter. A few sips was usually enough for her. Sam made a face when Ife made a grab for the bowl of _fetu_ – worms – and stuffed a handful in her mouth.

" _Sām_?" Bra'tac called out her name, humor twinkling in his eyes when he glanced at a munching Ife.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sam tried to ignore the worms and instead focused on the Jaffa.

"Will you be going into the fields later today?"

"Oh, yes. I was thinking I'd head out in a bit."

Suddenly a large plate with all kinds of bugs appeared in front of her. "Please, have some before you leave, _Nubit_ _Sām_ ," Lefin said.

Sam eyed the creepy crawlers, some of which were still alive while others had been roasted. Her stomach churned just from the look of them, but she knew just a piece of bread wasn't enough to tide her over until dinner. Hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed one of the roasted insects – it resembled a cockroach – and popped it into her mouth. At least it was dead already, she thought as she chewed on it.

"Me, me," Ife said when Lefin was about to move the plate away. The little girl picked some live ant-like bugs and put them in her mouth.

" _Sām?_ "

She made a face as she swallowed the cockroach and waved away Bra'tac's concern. "I'm fine. Tastes just like chicken."

He chuckled softly and filled his bowl with several different insects. "This _Tau'ri_ chicken is most versatile in taste," he commented dryly.

"Oh yeah." She knew he was only teasing because it had become her standard answer after trying something unappetizing – sometimes it actually tasted like chicken, sometimes she tried to convince herself it did. Even a giggling Ife seemed to recognize it. "I'll make sure to get you some to try when Ife and I are back home," she said.

"An appealing prospect."

Sam rolled her eyes, but didn't rise to the bait. "Well, I'm stuffed. I'll just grab my things before heading to the fields."

"I will accompany you," Bra'tac said.

"Oh. Okay." She hadn't expected him to join her, but perhaps there was something he wanted to discuss. "Well, take your time, there's no rush. I need to take Ife to the minders, anyway."

It was maybe half an hour later that they were finally on their way to Sam's project. Bra'tac was quiet, so Sam tried to make conversation. Even after all this time of traveling together, she still had the urge to fill moments like these every now and then.

"I was surprised to see you get along with the others so well." It was no secret that Bra'tac thought humans were inferior to Jaffa and that he didn't like her and Ife living on Utcha. He'd rather have them with him as he traveled from planet to planet to build his Jaffa Rebellion, to keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe. She appreciated the sentiment, but knew it was time to settle down somewhere safe now. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are. I don't know how long it will be before I can go back to Earth, but in the meantime Ife and I will stay here, so it's good that you're comfortable here."

"I cannot remain here indefinitely. The Rebellion requires my attention and I need to be present for them to accept me as their leader and join me in the fight of the Goa'uld, especially now that Klorel appears to have vanished."

"Still no word from Moac about him?"

Bra'tac looked at her with concern, well aware of her… issues, with Klorel. "None."

"Well, I suppose that's another reason why you should join the Rebel Jaffa. To lead them and find out the whereabouts of the System Lords."

"You will not accompany me?"

She shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "You don't need me, but Ife does. Besides, we both know not all the Jaffa trusted or even valued me. I don't know if that's because I'm a woman, a human or a former host, but I don't want to complicate things for you. Most of them are there because they believe in you, not because I showed them I could still use a hand device."

"Perhaps it is because you are _Tau'ri_ , perhaps because of the other reasons you mentioned. We will never know. It is the same for me, here on Utcha."

"I know they were very distrustful at first, but can you blame them after what happened to their people when Apophis' underlord left?"

Bra'tac shook his head, gazing in the distance. "It is common for Jaffa to simply die when their symbiotes mature and there is no replacement. It has been quite some time since I have heard of it happening on such a grand scale, though."

Sam had no trouble imagining the terror the Utchans went through when the newly matured symbiotes searched for hosts. According to Maya, a lot of the Utchan population died, including the Elders, either at the hand of the new hosts or their own people who suspected them of being hosts. "Still, they seem to have moved past it. They accepted both of us in their midst."

"Their need for guidance and the contribution we can make to improve their lives surely influenced their decision."

"I suppose, but I get the feeling they're genuine."

"Indeed," he said. "However, you should not let your gratitude for their acceptance blind you."

Sam stopped walking and turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

Bra'tac gestured at the fields ahead of them, where crops were growing and some Utchans were planting new seeds. "Your accomplishments here have given them new land to farm and will improve their way of life."

"All I did was fix an irrigation system that was already in place."

"It was in disrepair as was many of the abandoned Goa'uld technology. You undid the accumulated damage from over the past two generations and reintroduced these devices and techniques to the Utchan. You expanded their farm land by using this machinery and repairing their neglected lands."

She shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. "Well, don't go declaring me sainthood, yet. There are still some parts of the irrigation system that need to be repaired, although I'm not sure I have the means to replace some of the damaged innerworkings. From the drawings I found, it looks like it might actually go all the way back to the village and was intended for more than just helping to optimize crops and harvests."

"They already have, _Nubit_ _Sām_."

Sam grimaced at the reminder of her new title. However, she preferred it over _Senȧ_ _Sām_ , which some of the Rebel Jaffa used to refer to her because of her killing Hathor and Herit. "What did you mean with letting it blind me, though?"

"You contribute greatly to their society and for that, you deserve recognition," Bra'tac said. "Or at the very least, proper meals for you and the _sefi_."


	12. Chapter 12

**O'Neill Residence** **  
** **Colorado Springs, CO** **  
** **September 24, 1999**

Jack lifted a bottle to take a swig, only to realize he'd drank all the beer. He rolled his eyes and dropped the bottle to the floor, where it joined its cousins. Time to get a new one. Grimacing, he got up from the sofa and stretched his legs. Damn, but he'd been sitting there for a while. It was already dark outside, he noticed. As he made his way to the kitchen, he turned on a few lights and eyed some leftover pizza in the fridge. Shrugging, he grabbed a slice and munched on it. Still good. He took the box out with one hand and a cold beer with the other.

He was finishing off the last slice and making his way back to the sofa when someone knocked on his door. Frowning, he paused. Who'd be stopping by at this hour? He had half a mind of ignoring it, but after the visitor knocked again he reluctantly made his way to the front door and opened it.

To his surprise, it was Daniel.

"Hi."

Jack scowled at him. "What do you want?"

"I'm not , ah… I'm not sure to tell you the truth. I'm here to talk, I guess."

"So, talk." He knew there was a good chance his place was bugged by Maybourne and his cronies and he didn't want to let Daniel in, to talk or whatever. God, he really didn't want to talk. Why was Daniel the one who had to drop by? The guy could be like a dog with a bone when he really wanted something and Jack didn't want to be the asshole he needed to be to make Daniel give up.

Daniel looked at him as he took another swig of beer. "You got another one of those?"

"Yeah."

"Feel like sharing?"

Oh, great. There it was. "Beer?" Jack asked, raising a brow. "Sure."

Daniel had made himself at home in the living room by the time he got back with a fresh beer. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said, casting a look around the room and taking in the muted television and old newspapers on the coffee table.

"I was just brooding." Jack leaned forward and tried to casually set his beer on the table, placing the bottle exactly atop Jacob Carter's obituary in the old newspaper. He wasn't lying; he'd been staring at that damn death notification, berating himself for not keeping up his end of the deal – bringing Sam home in time to see Jacob again – and cursing Maybourne and his goons for making it impossible for him to pay his respects at the funeral.

"So, how are you feeling about all of this?"

"Yes to the beer, no to the feelings."

"That's, um, too bad, because I don't really like beer."

Like he didn't know! Jack sighed, "Stop your worrying. I'm fine."

"Really," Daniel said skeptically. "That's, um, funny because I didn't figure for the early retirement type anymore."

"Why not? I did what I set out to do and now my job is done."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged and took another swig of beer. "Skaara, Sha're… I promised you I'd get them back and I did. They're both safe on Abydos, dealing with what happened."

"And what about Captain Carter?"

"What about her?"

Daniel fidgeted with his beer and shrugged. "Well, I thought you wanted to help her-"

Jack quickly interrupted him, before the archaeologist said too much, "I did. She's gallivanting the galaxy with Bra'tac, working on that Jaffa Rebellion thing."

"But what about Colonel Grieves?"

"What about him?"

"I thought you wanted to make sure he paid for what he did to her, Jack."

He held up his hands in supplication, "Hey, I tried. There's no solid proof and if she doesn't want to come back to Earth…"

"Then… what?"

"Well, I can't exactly testify in her stead, now can I? Besides, even if she came to Earth then it would be her word against his, assuming we could actually locate Grieves and put him on trial. But that's not gonna happen because she won't change her mind. I mean, what does she have to come back to? Hammond told me her dad died and according to Catherine she barely had any friends, never mind a social life."

Daniel huffed and got to his feet, pacing in front of the fireplace. "So, you're just going to drop it?"

Jack was certainly hoping _Daniel_ would drop it, before he let something slip that wasn't meant for Maybourne's ears. Hell, Jack would have preferred to keep Sam out of it completely, because there was a good chance no one outside of SG-1 and Hammond knew she was even alive. "I already did."

"I can't accept that."

"Oh please, before today you barely mentioned her, this supposed good friend of yours whom you didn't even recognize on Hathor's planet. But now that you don't like my replacement, you're trying to guilt me into coming back and are using the Captain's story because she was left behind by our own."

"That's not true." Daniel said, but he frowned, as if he was unsure. "So, you're just going to let it go. What about those people in Utah, the ones we saw with Grieves when we retrieved the Touchstone?"

"Well, since no one saw the address they'd dialed, we have no idea where they went to, now do we? I'd say let's hope they accidentally ended up in a black hole, but come to think of it, they might just be our only shot at actually getting some advanced technology to protect ourselves with!"

Daniel was appalled and actually took a step back, "You don't mean that!"

Shrugging, Jack sipped his beer. "Sure I do. They seem to be the only ones who are thinking ahead and doing whatever's necessary to make sure we can defend ourselves when more Goa'uld come knocking."

A silence descended on the living room as Daniel continued his pacing, clearly trying to come up with other arguments but Jack was inwardly pleased with how he'd managed to turn the awful conversation into cheering on the bad guys he was after. Hopefully, it would convince Maybourne and his superiors that he was the right man for the job once he used the contact information that slimy bastard had left behind on his previous visit…

"There's another reason you're angry, isn't there?' Daniel suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, here we go," Jack complained, "pop psyche 101, right?"

"No. During your, er, altercation with General Hammond you said something about the Pentagon not giving us the backup we requested. What, er, what were you talking about?"

He sighed and tried to look as upset with the lie as he was supposed to be. It would fit nicely with the rest of his story. "Hammond and I were planning a secondary SGC base offworld. It was going to serve as a backup in case ours was attacked. I was going to command."

"And the Pentagon pulled the plug. So you're acting out because you're hurt, because you didn't get a command."

"Gimme a break Daniel. Their denial of the program was just another indication that they're not serious about attaining our goals."

"Which you think is obtaining new weapons and technology."

He made a vague hand gesture, "Protecting ourselves."

Feeling like he was getting somewhere, Daniel sat back down again, "But isn't our mission also about establishing and maintaining diplomatic relations with other cultures?"

"What's the point if we don't gain anything to help our other interests?"

"Well there's a lot we could learn from people like the Tollan that has nothing to do with technology and weapons."

Jack gave him a long-suffering look. "Stuff that interests people like you, Daniel. Not people like me. I want to see tangible gains from our efforts, and if people like the Tollan don't want to share, we should just take."

"You really believe that?"

"Being sweet and nice isn't going to stop three or four Goa'uld motherships if they decide to come back again. I'd rather be a thief and alive than honest and dead. It's a cliché, but there it is."

Daniel sat back, a confused look on his face. "If you really believe that, I guess, ah, I guess I never really knew you at all."

"Come on. You're a bright guy. You had to sense some of this." When Daniel didn't respond but just looked hurt, Jack decided to take it a step further. "Then no, I guess you couldn't relate to me any more than I could to you."

"So this whole, ah, this whole friendship thing we've been working on in the last few years is…"

"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"

Daniel shook his head, clearly upset. "I don't believe that. You wouldn't have done everything you have the past couple of years if that was true."

"I was just doing my job. In case you've forgotten, I was actually enjoying my retirement before ole' Pops came through the gate and Hammond roped me back in."

"Oh, come on, Jack-"

He got up and collected his empty beer bottles, trying to make it clear their conversation was coming to an end. "Look, I get that you were playing happy families with Sha're and everyone on Abydos, but I was doing just fine here on Earth. I didn't _need_ you, the SGC or a new mission in life. I had a life here, but then I got yanked back into the fray of things. Trust me, I was looking forward to spending time fishing at my cabin, not getting shot at or tortured by aliens five days a week."

Daniel, however, didn't seem convinced. "If that was true, then why stick around for so long?"

"Hey, I wasn't given a choice."

"But why promise to save Skaara and Sha're?"

"Just because I enjoyed my retirement doesn't mean I'm a heartless old bastard; I liked those two kids and I felt responsible for what happened on Abydos. We shouldn't have left them to explore that damn pyramid of yours."

Daniel winced at the accusation, but didn't relent. "But if that was the only reason, then why bother with that new off-world base, or steal the Tollan technology?"

"I wasn't gonna neglect my duty but, hey, if no one wants my advice or help, then why should I go risk life and limb on a daily basis for nothing? Because that's what we've got after all these years: nothing, nada, zip… Hammond relieved me of my duty, so now I can just let it all go and _finally_ enjoy my retirement."

"You really think you can enjoy your retirement knowing what's out there? We need you to keep Earth safe, Jack. To make allies and-"

He let out a sigh of exasperation and decided it was time to end it. "Look, Daniel, I'm flattered but we both know that isn't true. Hammond probably already replaced me before I'd even reached the surface and that's fine, that's how the military works. But you never seem to accept that and you're not happy with the way things turned out…

"Fortunately, I don't have to give a crap about what you do or think anymore. Personally, I like things the way they are. No more saving the world, just a nice pond with no pesky fish in it, and the single most pressing issue in my life is whether or not to get a dog… There're a lot of pros and cons to consider."

"So, that's it?" Daniel asked, eyes wide. "You're just giving up and you don't care about the Goa'uld anymore?"

Jack shrugged and headed towards the steps. "Doesn't matter if I'm here or in Minnesota when they start blasting Earth from orbit. I'll be dead either way."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"And I can't believe you're still here, trying to convince me to come back to lead SG-1, even though that's not an option anymore. Look, I'm sorry you don't like my replacement or my new attitude, but I don't know why you're still here: what, are you suddenly bored with Sha're, after we spent years trying to find and save her?"

Daniel jumped up from his seat, angry and hurt. "Damn it, Jack, I can't believe you. I guess you really are a heartless old bastard. You're right; what the hell was I thinking coming to check on my _friend_. Never mind, just forget I ever stopped by."

Jack managed to keep himself from wincing as Daniel stormed out and slammed the door. God, Maybourne's assignment better lead him to all the stolen technology…

* * *

 **NID Aircraft** **  
** **October 7, 1999**

Jack glanced around the plane he was sitting in and waited until Maybourne finally joined him. They'd taken off a few minutes ago, but the guy hadn't told him anything since they left Jack's place. "So, where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular. I find being thirty thousand feet up greatly reduces the chances of any effective surveillance."

"You know, if you have this plane at your disposal it really shouldn't have taken you so long to show up after I contacted you."

Maybourne rolled his eyes. "Contrary to what you think, I actually have other things beside the SGC to keep myself occupied with, O'Neill."

"Like this not classified but secret and dangerous operation you keep referring to, but can't bother to tell me anything of substance about?"

"I want you to understand that once you see what I'm about to show you, there is no turning back. You'll have the choice to go along with it or disappear."

Jack waved his hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, you already told me. I have some questions, though."

"I'm just giving you a last chance to back out."

"I thought you already did at my place. You know, before I agreed to go along with your paranoia and came aboard the plane. Now it's your turn to show me a little faith."

Maybourne looked at him for a long time, not saying anything at all, but Jack knew he had him when the NID operative shifted to reach for an alien device. A gray globe rose up from it when he touched it. "Do you know what this is?"

"I assume it's one of those Goa'uld communication… balls. Just slightly smaller than the one ole' Pops had."

"We didn't have to negotiate for it either," he said, smirking.

Jack raised his brows, but kept his eagerness at learning more about the operation from showing on his face. "Who's we?"

"My organization."

"NID?"

Maybourne seemed pleased with his interest and a little smug. "More of an offshoot."

"Ah, that sort of says it all, doesn't it?"

"I want you to command a unit."

"There are units?"

"Oh, yes." Maybourne smirked again, clearly proud of his little operation. "Would you like to meet the temporary commander of the unit I want you to run?"

Jack had known his skills would be seen as a great addition to the Rogue NID operation, but he was surprised to learn he'd get command of his own unit. Of course, he had the experience, both in black ops and off-world missions, but he hadn't expected Maybourne to trust him so soon. Ah well, that would only make his mission easier. Aiming for casual indifference, he shrugged, "I guess."

"Took us a while to figure out how to use this thing without a Goa'uld at the controls, but good old human ingenuity eventually won out," he said after fiddling with the device.

"Colonel Maybourne." The man who appeared on the orb thingy said, looking from one to the other.

"Newman," Maybourne said, "I'd like you to meet Colonel Jack O'Neill, retired."

"Colonel O'Neill, it is a pleasure, Sir. I've read just about all the SG-1 mission briefings and, uh, well let's just say your file is very impressive. It'll be an honor to serve under your command, Colonel."

Jack nodded in acknowledgment, although he silently wondered how the guy – one from Utah – had gotten his hands on the SG-1 briefings. Mission reports probably wouldn't be too difficult to obtain via Maybourne, or perhaps another accomplice at the Pentagon's Stargate Mission Analysis department, but the briefings were all kept in-house. They mostly contained initial MALP data and were used as an indicator to decide whether a planet would be put on the mission roster… Just more evidence of a mole at the SGC. "Hello Newman. You look familiar."

"Uh, yes, Sir. We have met briefly. In a hangar at a Utah landing strip."

"You're one of those kids we chased through the other stargate," he said, trying to keep the accusation from his voice.

Newman actually looked embarrassed or perhaps ashamed. Either at getting caught or the fact that they'd gotten into a firefight and he'd tried to shoot a superior officer. One he just sort of admitted to being impressed by. "Ah, that would be me. I apologize about having to return fire, sir."

"Where are you?"

"He's on another planet," Maybourne said, as expected.

"Your mission, Newman?"

"Use whatever means necessary to acquire goods and technology that could help Earth in the battle against the Goa'uld, Sir. Or other, unforeseen aggressors."

Jack figured that was the case, but it was still eerie to learn he'd been right all along. There was a whole different base with military folks whose sole purpose it was to steal advanced tech from other races and, considering what happened to Sam, they'd been there since the first year. "Well you've seen my file, Newman, it's only fair I know a little more about you."

"Need to know, Colonel," Maybourne reminded him.

"Well, _I_ need to know if I'm going to command this unit," Jack hit back.

"You agree to go there and take command, I'll give you detailed files on every one of your people. Now how about it, Colonel? You ready for a command where you can finally achieve what you and I both agree needs to be achieved to defend this planet?"

Sighing, he nodded. "I never thought I'd agree with you about anything, Maybourne. But yeah. I'm ready."

Maybourne smirked and turned off the orb. "Good. Now, we'll have to find a way to get you off-world. Any ideas?"

"I thought you were supposed to be the mastermind behind all of this, Harry?"

"Yes, well, it would have been easier if you hadn't had your little tirade so publicly. Then I might have been able to figure out a way to get you back into the SGC…"

Jack smiled and made himself comfortable in his seat. "Well, that won't be an issue. I know this will come as a shock to you, because you probably don't have any friends, but Hammond has a soft spot for me."

"You really think Hammond will just let you saunter back in there and go off-world?"

He shrugged at Maybourne's skeptical expression. "Sure. He gave me the choice to retire when he could have brought me up for charges. Probably thinks I've finally lost my marbles after everything and pities me. If I ask him for one last favor… say, going off-world to retire on Argos, he'll let me go. Because that's what friends do, Harry, they do each other favors. And I did save the planet a few times, so he can't really refuse me this one last thing."

"Just like that?"

"Well, I probably shouldn't make my request in the middle of the gate room, but if I ask him in the privacy of his office… yeah, just like that. Hell, the airmen present will most likely send me off with a salute to thank me for my service."

Maybourne chuckled, "A bit arrogant… I didn't think you had it in you, Jack."

"That's the reason I'm damn good at what I do."

* * *

 **Rogue NID Base**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**  
 **October 17, 1999**

It had been over a week since Jack had arrived on the off-world base from where Maybourne ran his operation and he'd already learned a lot about how they operated. There were quite a few surprises – the whole thing was bigger than he or Hammond suspected, better organized, too. The biggest surprise was the number of units. They'd assumed there was just one team, the one SG-1 had run into in Utah, led by Colonel Grieves. Instead there was a handful of units and the people he'd met so far, were all military or former military.

The people were dedicated, eager and doing it for the right reasons, but they all knew what they were doing were illegal and in many cases threatened the lives of the people they stole the tech from. He didn't feel bad about his plan, because it wasn't as if Maybourne had lied or sugarcoated their mission.

Another surprise was the base itself. Located on a barren, rocky planet, the facility was surprisingly modern and hardly lacked any of the comforts of home. That was a good thing considering the only way these people were going back to Earth was handcuffed and marched through the wormhole by Jack himself.

"Lieutenant," Jack greeted as he knocked on the door of one of the labs.

Tobias looked up from a thingamabob she was working on and smiled. "Is there something I can do for you, Sir?"

"Just browsing," he said, entering her workspace and checking out all the alien tech laid out on workbenches, desks and shelves. There were a whole bunch of machines from Earth too, some he recognized and others that he didn't. They looked like the sort of stuff Catherine and the rest of the science department at the SGC had in their labs.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

Jack shrugged, aiming for casual indifference. No need to alarm the bad guys, after all. "Nah. Just trying to get a sense of what you've brought back already."

She was clearly pleased with someone showing an interest in her work – even if he did cut her off the other day when she started rambling about the science between her anti-gravitation device. "Well, like I told you, Sir, I only keep the larger items we acquire. I can examine them in here or the lab next door and see if we backward engineer them and send the plans back to Colonel Maybourne. The smaller items are transported back to Earth, too."

"You figure out that Vanisher yet?"

"Vanisher?"

He quirked an eyebrow, "That thingy from the Tirnoks. It allows them to vanish. Vanisher. No?"

Tobias chuckled and failed to suppress a smile. "It's just called the device from PX3-595, Sir."

"That's a long name."

"I suppose it is."

"So, you got around to figuring it out yet, Lieutenant?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I haven't had much time between the anti-gravitational device and our mission to PX3-595, Sir."

Jack nodded slowly, eyeing the small doohickey. Time to gather some more information… "You gonna send it back to Earth? I mean, it's pretty small, right?"

"After an initial exam, yes, Major Newman will probably insist on sending it to Earth."

"Newman?"

"Well, I suppose he'd defer to you now, Sir. You're the highest-ranking officer around."

"Retired, Lieutenant."

She snorted, "Didn't seem to make a difference in the field, Sir."

"So…" Jack started, trying to find a way to ask for the intel he really wanted without making her suspicious. She seemed enthusiastic and had been doing her best to impress him ever since he arrived, so he figured he'd have a better shot with her than Newman. "Where's Grieves?"

"Sir?"

He rolled his eyes at her innocent act and made a vague gesture with his hands. "Come on, Lieutenant. We both know Lieutenant Colonel Grieves was part of this organization. He used to be stationed at the SGC and got mysteriously transferred to Utah, where I ran into him just before he jumped through the second stargate."

She grimaced and avoided his gaze when she replied, "Yeah, about a year ago, right? I heard about that."

"Newman was on that mission, too. Grieves was in charge back then, but Maybourne told me Newman had temporary command of your unit when he brought me aboard."

"I had only recently joined," Tobias said. "By the time my field training here was finished, Major Newman was given his own unit, with me on it."

Interesting, Jack thought. "You ever thought about joining the SGC, Tobias?"

"Sir?"

He gestured at all the tech lying around, "Well, you're clearly doing a good job and considering your rank, I'm assuming Maybourne saw potential in you or he wouldn't have approached you."

"I applied for a transfer to the SGC," she admitted, "but Captain Carter was chosen instead."

"Lucky for you, I suppose."

She shrugged and fiddled with the device in front of her. "I guess, so."

Jack couldn't help but wonder if Maybourne had planned for Grieves to take out Sam all along and perhaps replace her with Tobias… "Dodged a bullet there, Lieutenant. Literally."

"I'm glad I ended up here, Sir. We do what the rest of them isn't willing to do to defend ourselves against alien attacks."

"And we're very good at what we do," Newman said from the door opening.

Turning back to look at the Major, he raised his brows. "And you measure how good you are by the fact that you've never been caught?"

Jack's new 2IC walked into the lab and indicated the tech surrounding Tobias. "I measure it by the technology we acquire. SG-9 was unable to negotiate for the device from PX3-595 for example, yet here it is."

"Yeah, Tobias was just telling me that we'll be sending it to Earth. Guess it's time for us to have a little talk about that now that I've taken over command, Major."

If Newman was surprised or insulted, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply acknowledged Jack's words with a nod. "Yes, Sir. Could you have an initial report on the device ready by tomorrow, Lieutenant? If you agree with that, Colonel."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the guy for a moment, before turning back to the engineer. "Sure. Have it on my desk first thing in the morning, Tobias. The anti-gravitational device will remain here anyway, so you can play with it later."

"Yes, Sirs."

With that, Jack turned on his heels and indicated for Newman to follow him as he made his way back to the commander's office – the one he'd claimed for himself. "Tell me, Newman, how _do_ we get those devices back to Earth?"

"We've got a man on the inside, on one of the SG teams. Colonel Maybourne tells us where the mole's team is about to go, we get there first, make the drop and come back here. The mole comes in later, retrieves the item and packs it back in his gear."

"Sounds good," Jack said. That had been pretty much his and Hammond's theory and it was good to hear they were correct. Of course, the question about the mole's identity remained. But he had a plan to find out who was betraying them… "I'll wait for Maybourne to contact us and then I'll make the drop myself."

Newman looked genuinely surprised, although not at all suspicious. "Really?"

"Yeah. Best way to understand a command is to do every job yourself at least once."

"It's your prerogative, Colonel."

He nodded and took a seat behind his desk. "That it is, Major."

"Was there anything else, Sir?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Grieves," Jack said.

The Major frowned in confusion. "What about him, Sir?"

"He was your CO on that mission in Utah. You're here, with temporary command of a new unit and he's… where, exactly?"

"Like you said, Sir, my command was temporary. It's your unit now."

Jack leaned back in his chair and waited patiently for his 2IC to continue but when nothing else was forthcoming, he sighed. "And Grieves? Did Maybourne make him 'disappear' or… what?"

"Colonel Grieves is on a long-term mission with his unit… they've been overdue for a little over two weeks now."

"And that's normal?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Sir, but if you're asking if we're supposed to be mounting an S&R mission then the answer is no. We all knew what we signed up for and if Grieves' unit can't make it, then they're on their own."

A little over two weeks, which meant just before Jack had joined. No wonder Maybourne had been anxious to get him aboard, when his highest-ranking officer was MIA and the one left in command was a major with only a couple of years of field work under his belt at the most. "Does this happen often?"

"Not really, Sir. But it has happened before and sometimes the units do make it back eventually. It all depends on what kind of circumstances they find themselves in."

"Yeah, I can imagine that if Grieves 'acquired' another one of those 'protect-the-whole-planet-from-an-apocalypse devices' like from P3X-425 a few years ago, then he might have found himself in an apocalypse or some other kind of danger," Jack said, referring to Sam's first mission. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see if he and his unit make it back alive."


	13. Chapter 13

**Rendezvous planet**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**  
 **October 29, 1999**

Jack checked his watch for the umpteenth time, wondering what the heck was taking so long. He'd expected the SG team with the mole to drop by over an hour ago. Maybourne's intel had to be wrong, or maybe something had happened back home at the SGC… He shook off the thought, knowing that even if there was a foothold situation or, hell, even an attack on Earth, he wouldn't be notified and there was nothing he could do about it.

Right now, his place was on the most boring planet ever, waiting for the inside man – or woman – to pick up the Vanisher he'd hidden at the foot of the DHD and thereby exposing themselves as the mole.

He idly wondered if his NID team was wondering about his whereabouts already. Maybourne had made it pretty clear he was only supposed to drop off the package and get back before the SG team arrived. That just proved how bad a judge of character Maybourne was, to think Jack would let the opportunity to see who was working with the Rogue NID slide. Even if he _had_ crossed over to the dark side he would've wanted to know who he was in bed with. In his line of work, and with his past, there was no such thing as blind trust. People had to prove themselves to him.

Sighing, he got comfortable in his hiding spot and pulled out a yoyo. Hopefully, Maybourne and the Rogue NID operatives would believe him when he blamed the SG teams' early arrival for being held up on the planet. Of course, if Maybourne knew the time the teams – or at least the one his mole was on – were supposed to go, then he'd also have a way to check what time they actually left and how long they were away…

Damn, but he hadn't considered that yet.

Well, he figured that simply meant he had to move up his timetable. He just hoped Thor hadn't gotten distracted and had actually followed him to the Rogue NID base and was orbiting the planet. If not, then there would be no cavalry when Jack dialed Earth. And without the threat of the Asgard reclaiming their technology, there was no reason why the traitors would flee through the gate as he'd planned.

Jack shrugged it off and instead focused on walking the dog with his yoyo. There was no reason to believe Thor wasn't keeping an eye on things. He'd just have to wait and see what happened once he got back to the base, after learning the identity of the mole…

Half an hour later Jack was pretty convinced he'd mastered his latest trick when the stargate activated, sounding loud in the otherwise quiet surroundings. He pocketed his yoyo, got to his feet and readied his weapon, just in case. "Crap," he breathed, when it was SG-1 exiting the wormhole.

"All right," Colonel Makepeace said, "Doctor Jackson run your tests. Lieutenant, help him. We gotta see if the intel was right about naquadah deposits here."

Jack got his binoculars out and observed his old team. Why did it have to be them? He tensed when Teal'c neared the DHD, but he knew he had nothing to worry about from the Jaffa. There was no way T would ever betray the SGC like that, which was confirmed when he moved past the DHD.

The team headed off to do their thing and Jack was left worrying about their involvement. He couldn't imagine any of them working with Maybourne! Imagining Daniel as a double agent almost made him crack up and he immediately dismissed the thought. Even if the archaeologist hadn't come by his place, full of concern and arguing passionately to make him change his mind, he wouldn't have believed it.

He was still contemplating the possibility of Kershaw being involved with the NID when the team returned to the clearing. She'd barely left the Academy when she joined SG-1 and had been so terribly green… she'd definitely grown and improved. But could she have been good enough to fool him? He found it hard to believe. After all, he had decades of experience and considered himself a pretty good judge of character and had an excellent bullshit detector…

"Dial 'er up, Kershaw," Makepeace bellowed, as he cast a last look around.

Jack watched as the Lieutenant did as ordered, while Makepeace kneeled near her to tie his shoelaces. The temptation to shoot the son of a bitch when he reached for the Vanisher made Jack tighten his grip on his MP5.

Of course it was Makepeace!

He was silently berating himself for doubting his team when he saw Kershaw look down at where Makepeace was pocketing the little package.

"Oh no." Jack was watching with bated breath, mentally urging his former 2IC to look away and not comment or make a wrong move to attract Makepeace's attention. It was bad enough that Sam had been betrayed by Grieves, but for history to repeat itself?

Just to be safe, he readied his MP5 and put Makepeace in his sight.

The stargate activated, kawoosh and everything, and Daniel and Teal'c made their way up the stone steps to step into the wormhole. Kershaw, however, glanced down just as Makepeace looked up and their gazes connected.

Jack tensed and was ready to take action, when Makepeace patted his pocket with a small grin and Kershaw returned it with a bright smile.

Stunned, Jack watched as the Marine got to his feet and Kershaw followed him.

Once the whole team had been swallowed up by the event horizon, Jack got up and left his hiding spot. Kershaw – his trusty 2IC – was in on it with Makepeace.

Fuck.

How had he missed that? And how long had she been working with Makepeace? He wondered if it had been from the beginning or at least before the two started seeing each other. It wasn't like Maybourne wouldn't use the Marine's relationship to their advantage. But the question remained of whether Makepeace dated and turned her, or turned and dated her. Jack wouldn't put it past Maybourne to target Kershaw either. She was on the flagship team after all and Makepeace would probably do whatever his NID superiors told him. Damn jarhead.

* * *

 **Utcha**  
 _ **Shesp't**_ _ **Nubit**_ _ **Sām**_  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Sam let out a groan of frustration, much to Bra'tac's amusement, and moved to where he was sitting at the table to take a seat of her own across from him. They'd built it themselves, with some help and instructions from one of Lefin's nephews. He and some of the other villagers had helped Sam build the little hut she and Ife – and Bra'tac, when he wasn't with the Rebel Jaffa – called home.

"I can acquire more of these if you wish," Bra'tac said, holding out his hand.

She eyed the chewing stick he was offering her, before looking back to the rolled-up tube of toothpaste in her hand. She dropped the tube and her toothbrush on the table and shook her head. "No, thank you, but that won't be necessary."

"You prefer your _Tau'ri_ paste?"

"It's more effective and I like the minty taste." She knew it sounded strange, but was reluctant to tell him about the promise Jack had made her. The last two weeks or so, she'd been squeezing the last bits from the tube, but it seemed like the toothpaste had finally run out – and she hadn't heard anything from Jack, either directly or via Moac.

Bra'tac looked at her, head slightly tilted and eyes narrowed. "You remain a curiosity, _Sām_."

"Even after all this time?"

"Indeed."

She returned his small smile with one of her own. "It might have gotten boring otherwise."

This time, Bra'tac chuckled. "Somehow, I do not believe that to be true."

"Trust me, if you'd been using toothpaste or laundry detergent," she said, gesturing at the stained tunic she'd laid out to dry, "for the better part of your life and suddenly had to do without, you'd be missing them too."

"Perhaps."

Sam looked up at the tone of his voice and was reminded of how much he'd given up when he left the _ha'tak_ with her, renouncing his gods and the only way of life he'd ever known. Sometimes, it was easy to forget because of how well he seemed to adjust to their current lifestyle. He was a terrific leader though, proven by the ever-growing Jaffa Rebellion. She couldn't tell if he'd been born for it or if over a hundred years of experience had shaped him that way, but he was definitely a warrior and a leader.

Knowing he didn't like to talk about much of anything at all but especially not his role as leader of the rebellion or the sacrifices he'd made to help her escape, she let it drop. Instead, she focused on the damn tube of toothpaste. She'd tried to ration it and curb her expectations, but she couldn't deny the disappointment she felt over going through it all without hearing from Jack. In truth, the belief that he would take her and Ife home before she finished it had been growing inside of her.

"Do you wish for me to retrieve new cloth when I travel again?"

"I'll have to ask Maya, but I don't think they can spare any."

"You have repaired much of the technology Apophis' underlord and his Jaffa left behind here many cycles ago and you did so to better the lives of everyone on Utcha. These are important contributions, especially when it will aid in their farming. Do not think of it as asking for favors, _Sām_ , but as payment for your service."

She nodded at Bra'tac's reminder, but it didn't ease the uncomfortable feeling she felt every time she asked someone to help her. Back home, it had been different because she was paid for the work she did and whenever she asked someone for help it was on a professional level, but off-world she had to rely on others for survival and the simple lifestyle she and Ife lived. Even after all this time, she still hated it.

"I will retrieve more cloth for you."

"Thank you," she smiled in gratitude. "But I don't know what to trade it for."

"Do not concern yourself with it. I will find something."

Sam looked at the stained tunic again. Most of it was mud or something. Some green grass stains, too. The mud seemed impossible to remove, though. There were dark brown, light brown and even reddish stains on it. Her time off-world had taught her to be cautious with the few clothing items she had but according to Maya the Utchan mud required a different kind of washing treatment. Sam's washing had simply made it worse. It had probably damaged the fabric's fibers or something. "Maybe I should just ignore it."

"And wear stained clothing for the remainder of your days?"

"Well, maybe not _that_ long," she said dryly. "I intend on growing old enough to at least warrant a new change of clothes someday."

Bra'tac grinned as he chewed on one of the sticks he'd offered her earlier. "I leave in six days to meet with Moac and will most likely return within three days. With new cloth."

"Too bad they apparently don't have laundry detergent anywhere but on Earth," she said, sighing. "Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I'd probably just toss the shirt and buy a new one if I was back home."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That is common behavior for dealing with soiled clothing?"

Sam shrugged as she eyed the offending tunic. "If it's impossible to get rid of in the laundry, then yeah. But then we don't have mud like this. I mean, it gets _everywhere_. Ife was pretty much covered in it the other day. It took us half the morning to get to the lake yesterday and the rest of the morning to wash it all off. Her hair is still caked in it, though. The water wasn't enough to get it out and she started crying when I tried to comb through it."

"When do you expect to finish your work on the _sunu_?"

"Well, most of the machinery seems to be intact and we've been working hard on clearing the actual ducts," she said, referring to her latest project – fixing the Goa'uld aqueducts. "I gave priority to the one leading to the village and if all goes as planned, I should be able to inspect it for any damages the day after tomorrow at the latest. If everything checks out, we're going to put it in use and see if it still works as intended."

Bra'tac nodded, a small smile playing around his lips. "Then, soon, we will have fresh water available for drinking and washing without having to walk such distances."

The prospect of being able to bathe more than once a week put a big smile on Sam's face. The Utchans retrieved large amounts of water once a week and bathed at the lake on those days and Sam had adopted their ways, simply because the lake was so far away. The amount of water they brought back was used for drinking and washing throughout the week. "That would be great."

"Indeed."

"A warm bath after a long day of working on the aqueducts or in the field sounds like heaven."

Chuckling, Bra'tac got up from the table and started collecting their used plates and cups from breakfast, to take them to the main building where all the dishes were done by the teenagers. He must have seen her gaze fall back to the empty tube of toothpaste, because he paused as he passed her. "Perhaps you can open the contraption and retrieve the paste."

"Maybe." She was surprised she hadn't thought of it herself and happily reached into her boot, to retrieve the knife he'd given her a long time ago. She eyed it and tube for a moment, before cutting off the tube's top. Squeezing and rolling the tube proved it hadn't helped much, so she cut off the bottom too. When that didn't help, she carefully slid the knife along the length and sliced the tube open. She folded it open and used her toothbrush to scrape some of the remaining toothpaste from the inside, smiling.

"Fingar requested my help in checking the traps we laid out several days ago. We will return before supper but if it is sooner, I will find you in the _sunu_ to help."

"Thanks."

Bra'tac nodded, watching her as she started brushing her teeth. When she found him looking and raised her brows in a silent question, he smiled gently. "O'Neill will return for you and the _sefi_ soon, _Sām_."

Stunned, Sam watched him go before she could say a word.

* * *

 **Rogue NID Base**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**

Jack exited the wormhole and almost ran into Newman and Grieves. That son of a bitch had returned from his mission about a week ago, with just one of his teammates. Grieves claimed they'd been attacked and the other two from his unit were killed, but Jack took anything the guy said with a grain of salt. Of course, he wouldn't mourn any of the Rogue operatives if they _had_ been killed, or even captured. They all knew what they were getting themselves into, according Maybourne and just about anyone he'd spoken to since arriving on the base.

"How'd it go, Sir?"

"Maybourne had the coordinates right, but his timing sucked! I just about ran into the SG team on my way back through the Gate," he groused.

Grieves narrowed his eyes at him. "Really? What a coincidence. Sir."

Jack didn't take the bait and simply shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you know all about coincidences, don't you?"

"I'm not sure what you're implying, Colonel."

"Oh, I think you do," Jack said, brushing past him.

"Sir?"

He looked back to Newman and sighed. "Just gonna go to my office and record a little message for Maybourne. I want my anger to be fresh when I confront him about his screw-up."

"What about the SG team? Sir."

"What about them, Grieves?"

The man had a smug expression on his face when he replied, "Just wondering if you saw them, Sir."

"I wouldn't be much of a black ops officer if I overlooked them, would I? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to. Comes with the job of being base commander."

"Yes, Sir," Newman said, but Grieves just glared at him.

Jack took satisfaction from the Lieutenant Colonel's reaction and made his way to his office. He paused when he passed Brooks at her computer. "You finished your backup?"

If she was surprised at the question she didn't show it. "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Would hate for anything to get lost if one of Tobias' doohickeys exploded or uploaded a virus into the main computer system."

"Yes, Sir."

He nodded and made a vague hand gesture. "Carry on."

Once in his office, Jack closed the door behind him and headed straight for the drive Brooks had placed in his safe. Time to get that baby to a different kind of safety, he thought as he slipped off his weapon and pack. The drive easily fit into one of his pockets. There were a few folders on his desk and he flipped through them, ripping out some papers from a tech report submitted by Tobias and stuffed them in a different pocket.

He was just about to sit down when there was a rumbling noise and the ground started to shake. Jack had actually read all of the reports in the past month and knew there was no known danger of earth quakes on the planet, so he figured Thor had enough of sitting around and the Supreme Commander of the Asgard was taking matters into his own four-fingered hands. Grabbing his things, he went back to check it out.

"What's going on?!"

The rogue operatives were panicking by the time Jack rejoined them in the central space that also housed the stargate. Over the loud voices, he recognized the sound of Asgard beaming technology and made his way over to the DHD.

"Sir?" Newman shouted, "Sir, we don't open the gate without direct orders from Colonel Maybourne. Colonel, what are you doing?"

Jack finished dialing Earth and hit the big red button in the middle of the DHD before he responded, "Opening up some options!"

"O'Neill!"

He turned around at the sound of Grieves' shouting over the kawoosh. "That'd be 'Colonel O'Neill' to you, _Lieutenant Colonel_ Grieves."

Grieves shook his head, "I don't think so, O'Neill. You're retired. And you're gonna shut down that gate right now."

"Yeah, or what?"

"Or I'll retire you permanently."

Jack rolled his eyes at the cliché but fingered the trigger of his MP5. "I may be retired, but I still outrank you. Maybourne wanted me to lead his little operation, not you, Grieves."

Raising his weapon, Grieves tipped his chin in the direction of the gate. "Shut it down."

"Sirs?"

"Shut up, Newman," Jack said in a deceptively calm voice.

Lieutenant Tobias came running into the room, looking wide-eyed. "There's an Asgard ship descending over the base!"

Grieves was momentarily distracted when he looked her way, but quickly refocused. "Last warning, O'Neill."

"Back atcha," Jack said, leveling his MP5 at him. "Stand down, Lieutenant Colonel Grieves. That's an order."

"Colonel?" Tobias said, confused. From the corner of his eye he saw her looking from him to the shimmering event horizon and back to Grieves. "What's going on?"

"Stay out of it, Tobias."

She seemed to straighten up at his order, but let out a soft startled sound when suddenly lights started flashing around the base and alien tech started disappearing. "What are they doing?"

"Taking back what's rightfully theirs, I guess. Listen up all of you. You've got two choices here-"

"I don't think so, O'Neill," Grieves snarled, interrupting him.

Jack could feel tensions ratcheting up in the room and waved Newman and another operative down with his free hand, not wanting them to interfere. Grieves, however, took it as an opportunity and moved to fire. Jack's response was automatic and his reflexes faster; bullets impacted Grieves' chest and made him drop to his knees, before he fell backwards, a short burst of gunfire hitting the ceiling.

The others were all gaping as Jack, still armed and ready to strike, made his way over to where the traitor was lying in a small pool of blood. He kept one eye on the crowd and his weapon aimed at Grieves as he leaned down and checked the man's carotid.

Dead.

Ignoring the continuous beaming away of tech all around them, Jack straightened up to his full height and turned to the group of people. "Like I was saying, you've got two choices here. Well, three now, I suppose. One, you can challenge me, like Grieves over there did. Two, you can stay here and let the Asgard beam you to who knows where once they're done taking back their stuff. Or three, you can follow me," he said, walking to the open wormhole. "Your choice. I'll be holding the door open from the other side, so you can't go anywhere else."

He put the safety back on his weapon and, after a little wave, stepped into the event horizon. The klaxons were blearing on the other side of the wormhole and SFs were standing at the ready when he came through, armed and tense. "Stand down."

"You heard the man," General Hammond said as he entered the gate room, "stand down, people. Colonel O'Neill, good to see you again."

"Good to be back, Sir." Jack gave him a sloppy salute before sticking his MP5 into the event horizon to keep it open. "They'll be here soon."

Hammond nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to your debrief."

Tobias suddenly exited the wormhole, running straight into Jack. "Whoa, there. Not so fast, Lieutenant."

The General turned back to the SFs. "Colonel O'Neill has been on an undercover operation to track down and apprehend Rogue NID operatives working from an off-world base to steal alien technology from our allies and defenseless races. Soon, these operatives will be joining us here and you are to take them into custody."

A chorus of "Yes, Sir" was heard and the group moved as one towards the ramp. One of the airmen walked up to Lieutenant Tobias. "I'll take her from here, Sir."

"Thanks," Jack said, smirking. "Sir, my team?"

Hammond was about to reply when the other blast door opened and SG-1 entered. "I believe they're right here, Colonel."

"I believe you require restraints." Teal'c came forward, holding plastic handcuffs and looking none too surprised at the turn of events.

"Thanks, T."

Teal'c inclined his head as Jack intercepted another Rogue NID member. "You are most welcome, O'Neill. I am pleased you have returned."

Jack shoved the operative into the waiting arms of two airmen and threw his team a look. "Yeah, me too."

Suddenly, a whole group of operatives exited the wormhole, keeping everyone occupied. Airmen slipped handcuffs on everyone on the ramp, not stopping until they were all taken into custody and the event horizon blinked out of existence.

Moving through the throng of people, Jack wasn't surprised to find Makepeace at the bottom of the ramp, doing his part as the ever faithful member of the SGC. "Uh, give me one of those."

"Here," Makepeace said, throwing him a pair of plastic handcuffs.

Jack grabbed and handcuffed him. "Thanks."

"What the hell… what are you doing?"

Seeing other airmen aiming their weapons at the mole from the corner of his eyes, Jack smiled and took a step back. "That would be… my job."

Hammond stepped up beside him, but turned to Maybourne's crew. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to announce that you're all under arrest for high crimes against the United States and its allies."

"You really blew it O'Neill."

"Oh, I think it came off quite nicely, don't you General?"

"Yes, I do," he said with a smile.

Makepeace struggled against the hold one of the airmen had on him. "You have no idea how high up this goes."

"Like the Tollan, Asgard, Nox…those folks?"

"They refuse to give us the things we need to defend ourselves against the Goa'uld."

"We don't need their stuff Makepeace. We do need them," Jack said.

Hammond turned to the SFs and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Get them out of here."

The Rogue NID operatives were dragged away by the airmen, off to a nice holding cell on one of the higher levels.

Jack turned back to Hammond, grimacing as he saw his teammates approach. "I'm afraid we're not done yet, Sir."

"Colonel Grieves?"

"Huh? Oh no, he's dead. Tried to shoot me when I dialed Earth, I had to take him out," he replied, shrugging. If he were honest, he'd admit that it felt damn good doing so. That bastard deserved to pay with his life for what he did to Sam. And maybe, just maybe, he'd known what was going to happen the moment he stood up to Grieves. He certainly hadn't tried very hard to talk the traitor down…

Hammond frowned, gauging him. "We'll discuss this at your debriefing, Colonel."

"Jack!" Daniel greeted him, an uncertain smile on his face. "So, um… you're back."

"Yeah, I'm back." He threw Kershaw an inquiring look but she just nodded.

"Good to have you back, Sir."

A brief exchange of glances was all the warning Jack gave Hammond before he stepped towards his 2IC. "Lieutenant Kershaw, you are hereby under arrest for high crimes against the United States and its allies."

"Jack!"

"O'Neill?"

Hammond looked between the two of them and, upon seeing the expression on Kershaw's face, held up his hand to the other half of SG-1 to silence their inquiry. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Lieutenant?"

Kershaw lifted her chin stubbornly and simultaneously raised her hands, palms up, to Jack, briefly glancing to the base commander. "I think I'd like a lawyer, Sirs."


	14. Chapter 14

**Stargate Command**  
 **Colorado Springs, CO**  
 **November 6, 1999**

Jack yawned loudly and stretched his tall frame to get the kinks out of his back. It had been a long week since he'd completed his undercover mission and arrested all the Rogue NID operatives.

A dark look crossed his face at Maybourne having fled before he could be taken into custody. No one had been able to find a trace of the man and Jack figured the NID, or at least some of the highly important civilians with security clearance were responsible for his escape. But at least they'd apprehended everyone from the off-world base and from the interrogations it became clear that there were no other operatives out there.

The flash drive with a backup of the computer systems he'd brought back proved to be a gold mine, with all the details about the units' missions and the technology they'd stolen. Thor had collected everything on the base but there was still some missing tech that had apparently been brought to Earth via Makepeace.

That traitorous bastard.

After everything had gone down, Hammond had informed the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President about Jack's mission and the Rogue NID's work. They were none too pleased about being kept in the dark but were happy the mission had paid off and that Earth's allegiances with the Tollan, Nox and Asgard had been saved.

Of course, there had been the little matter of what happened with Colonel Grieves…

"Colonel O'Neill," General Hammond said as he entered the briefing room. "Thank you for waiting."

He stood, briefly glancing at Major Davis who was trailing behind Hammond. "Yes, Sir." It wasn't like he could have gone anywhere. He wasn't exactly confined to base, but was expected to stick around anyway and he had too much work to do in regards to his undercover mission to object.

Some of the brass had come down to Colorado Springs to be present during Jack's debriefing and to go over the statements made by a couple of traitors who were cooperating. Major Davis had tagged along and, after Thor had done his thing and retrieved all alien tech, Teal'c had taken Davis to the Rogue NID base to investigate.

"Major Davis and I have just concluded our meeting with the AFOSI," the General said as he sat down at the head of the table. Davis took a chair to his left.

Jack followed their example and sat back down, too. The AFOSI agents who'd investigated Sam's 'death' had been assigned Grieves' case and needed as much physical evidence and CCTV as possible, since they still didn't have the right clearance to know about the SGC and the jobs they did.

While Teal'c and Davis were collecting what the AFOSI needed, Jack had been interviewed by the agents and gave his side of the story. There had been plenty of eyewitnesses, but considering he'd just gotten them all arrested for treason they weren't very willing to cooperate…

"I am pleased to tell you you've been cleared of any wrongdoing, Colonel. The CCTV supported your version of events and Lieutenant Tobias also confirmed your statement." Hammond smiled and exchanged a look with Major Davis. "Now, we both know that it'll take a while for the paperwork to go through but as far as the AFOSI and the brass are concerned, no charges will be brought against you."

"If you hadn't acted the way you did, Colonel Grieves most likely would have killed you and possibly some of the other people present."

"Traitors," Jack reminded them.

Davis shrugged, "But American citizens and members of the military nonetheless. Colonel Grieves and some, if not all, of his Rogue NID companions might have also escaped if you had not intervened and then we may never have been able to find them or get access to the data you brought back."

Jack could tell Hammond felt the same way, so he simply nodded. Killing someone was no badge of honor and he knew every time he took a life he took one step closer to becoming like that guy from SG-9 who'd gone nuts and killed half of his team and proclaimed himself a god off-world. But it had been over a week and Jack still felt no regret or anything – it had been the right thing to do and that son of a bitch Grieves deserved what he got for what he did to Sam.

"A select group of team leaders and scientists who had been cleared have been going over the mission files and tech reports," General Hammond said, "and we have learned quite a bit already."

"Do we have an estimate of how much tech is still missing?"

"Not yet, Colonel," Davis replied. "The Rogue NID used the same binary codes we do and our technicians are still working on matching those designations with the planet coordinates Thor gave us for the technology he has returned to their rightful owners."

"Yeah, Maybourne got those coordinates from Stargate Mission Analysis and possibly from the MALP telemetry we use in the pre-mission briefings." Jack sighed and turned to Hammond, "Are we sure Makepeace and Kershaw were the only moles, Sir?"

The General shook his head, a sad expression on his face. "Unfortunately, we've found a handful of others among SGC personnel. But we are absolutely certain there are no more on the SG teams."

Grimacing, he nodded in acknowledgement. "Has Kershaw said anything at all about her motivation or do we know how long she's been involved with the Rogue NID?"

"I'm afraid she was a plant from the beginning, son. I know, I was quite surprised myself."

"She played us all along?"

"Not exactly," Davis said. "From what we gather, her role was simply to be the Rogue NID's eyes and ears. She claims to have never taken anything and denies any contact with the NID aside from Colonels Maybourne and Makepeace."

Jack couldn't believe she'd been a mole from the start. How could he – or Teal'c – have missed it?! The memory of that day he saw her and Makepeace off-world together flashed through his mind's eye and he could feel his anger rise. "What about SG-1's latest mission? I saw her and Makepeace… I mean, if I hadn't witnessed her seeing him take the Vanisher and smiling at that son of a bitch, then I never would have known she was involved."

"It's like you said, Sir, she watched _Colonel Makepeace_ take the package; she didn't do it herself. She never even touched it."

"Major Davis is correct," Hammond said. "At this moment we can't prove anything beyond the fact that she's an accomplice."

"So… what? She just reported everything that happened on SG-1 to Maybourne?"

"That was why he recruited her in the first place," Davis said. "He and his superiors knew they could never get anyone with real black ops experience on SG-1 but a green lieutenant wouldn't arouse much suspicion. At the same time the chances of someone that inexperienced getting caught were pretty high, especially under command of someone with your record, Colonel O'Neill."

"And Teal'c would have noticed, too."

"That's precisely why Maybourne only wanted information from her. If she got caught, their whole operation could be blown out of the water, Sir."

Christ. She'd seemed so… normal. Jack found it difficult to mesh her role as a traitor with the image he'd had of her, one of a capable and promising young officer in the Air Force. Jesus, she'd been spying on him for almost four years. No wonder Maybourne always looked so smug. "I guess now at least we know of something she and Makepeace had in common," he muttered sardonically.

Hammond snorted uncharacteristically, no doubt even more infuriated about the moles under his command. "Actually, Colonel, that's one of the few things Colonel Makepeace didn't lie about to me. Apparently, he and Lieutenant Kershaw were never romantically involved. They were simply exchanging intel and when someone from the SGC saw them together, they went along with the story and used a romance as cover for their meetings."

"Well, I'm glad to know she's at least got the sense not to fall for a jarhead like Makepeace. Too bad she didn't exercise such sound judgment when Maybourne approached her with his offer."

"I think what we should focus on now is gathering as much evidence against them as possible for their trials and repair any relationships with other races that might have suffered from the thefts, Sirs," Davis said.

Jack listened with half an ear as Davis and Hammond went over their next steps, his mind already a few steps ahead. He waited until they were done to broach a more important topic. "I have one more question, Sir." He gestured to Major Davis, "Does he know about Captain Carter?"

Understanding dawned on General Hammond's face. "As a matter of fact, he does. We have discussed it earlier this week."

"Thor told me the shielding device from P3X-425, the Captain's first and only mission, was also found on the Rogue NID base. I don't know why they didn't use Makepeace to bring it to Earth," Jack said, shrugging. "Maybe they thought we could match its energy signature or something from the data Captain Carter collected if it was on Earth. Or maybe it doesn't work anywhere except on the planet it belongs and that made it useless. I'm sure Catherine and the eggheads can come up with a reason. All I know is that it's accounted for now and therefore completely contradicts Grieves' statement from over two years ago."

"I briefly discussed it with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President," Hammond said. "They agreed with me that the case needs to be revisited. Major Davis will be temporarily stationed at the SGC to conduct the investigation into the Rogue NID operation and reevaluate Captain Carter's case."

Davis nodded and took over when Hammond fell silent. "I have already reviewed the initial statements and the additional reports you made for the General's eyes only from your meetings with alien allies and Captain Carter herself. The evidence from two years ago was circumstantial at best and I don't think we'll have any difficulty disputing it and clearing the Captain's name officially, assuming I can meet with her and this… Moak and Braytac to get their official statements."

"Moac and Master Bra'tac," Jack corrected. "But yeah, I think we can arrange that. Provided that Captain Carter will be allowed to come home, no allegations or charges against her will be made and her safety will be guaranteed, of course."

"I think we can all agree on that, son," General Hammond said.

"Well, then," Jack said, clasping his hands, "let's get started."

* * *

 **Utcha**  
 **Milky Way Galaxy**  
 **November 12, 1999**

Jack blinked against the bright sunlight as he exited the wormhole and reached for the Bugaboo sunglasses hanging around his neck, while simultaneously scanning his surroundings. Disappointment washed over him when he spotted only Bra'tac near the DHD – there was no sign of Sam. "Bra'tac," he said, walking down the stone steps, "good to see you again."

"You look well, O'Neill," Bra'tac replied, clasping his forearm.

He figured that was down to the sunglasses because he hadn't had much sleep the past two weeks, too busy with wrapping up the Rogue NID operation and guaranteeing Sam's safe return. Turning back to the gate, he waited until the others came through.

Daniel still managed to look excited about setting foot on a different planet after all these years but Teal'c looked as unperturbed as always. Major Davis looked like he was trying hard not to toss his cookies, which amused Jack. He had to give the guy credit for not complaining once since they'd left to meet up with Moac, though. Moac was the last to exit the event horizon, a big smile on his face as he spotted Bra'tac.

" _Tek'ma'te Tchaȧs Bra'tac_ ," Moac said, moving over to clash his mentor's forearm in greeting.

Teal'c also walked up to Bra'tac to greet him.

Jack impatiently waited until the three Jaffa had exchanged pleasantries. "Well, now that everyone's all caught up, let's get down to business. Bra'tac, this is Major Davis. Davis, this Master Bra'tac, Teal'c and Moac's old mentor and former first Prime of Apophis and Klorel."

"Um," Daniel stepped forward, "Major Davis needs to get a statement from you about the state you found Captain Carter – Sam – in after your Jaffa captured her."

"I already told you the _Tau'ri_ left her on that planet for the animals to feed on," Bra'tac said, narrowing his eyes at Jack. "My _thesu_ thought she had already perished when he located her."

Major Davis hesitated for a moment before he spoke up. "It's, um, an honor to meet you, Master Bra'tac. I have heard great things about you from SG-1 and our government cannot thank you enough for all of your help. Because of the circumstances surrounding Captain Carter's disappearance and the recent death of the man responsible for leaving her behind, we need a statement from you about her injuries at the time, what she may have said upon capture and the way she was treated by… um, you and your men, and the Goa'uld."

Bra'tac eyed Jack again. "The man is dead, hm?"

"By O'Neill's hand," Teal'c said proudly, before he could respond.

"It will not take long, _Tchaȧs_ Bra'tac," Moac said. "I have already spoken with Major Davis myself."

Jack rolled his eyes when both Daniel and Davis started talking, thanking and praising Moac for his cooperation and saying how much it would mean if Bra'tac would help out. "Look, I just have one question: where is Captain Carter? Moac here told us he'd take us to her but I don't see her."

Bra'tac smirked and clasped his shoulder. "Moac spoke the truth. However, when he contacted me two days ago he was unsure when you would arrive. I have not yet informed _Sām_."

"She doesn't know we're here?"

"No. I thought it prudent to wait."

"A wise decision," Teal'c said.

Moac nodded. "Indeed. Now, if I can speak to _Tchaȧs_ Bra'tac first, I can take my leave and return to the Rebel Jaffa."

Jack threw up his hands, even though he was tempted to wring their necks. "Sure! Why not. We'll just wait right here. It's not like it's already been over two years or anything."

"She doesn't even know we're here," Daniel said softly, as the three Jaffa walked away to confer. "It won't hurt to wait a little longer."

Tapping his fingers on his MP5, Jack impatiently waited for Bra'tac to return and take them to Sam. He knew Daniel was just trying to help, but the archaeologist hadn't been waiting for two weeks to bring her back to Earth. Hell, up until this morning Daniel and Teal'c hadn't known that was the plan; Hammond had waited with telling anyone about Sam's return until everything had been cleared with the higher ups. Davis taking statements was just a formality.

He sighed and looked at this friend. "Yeah, I know, Daniel. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry about keeping you in the dark concerning my undercover mission and Captain Carter."

"Well, you were under orders, right?"

That was true, but they both knew it wasn't that simple. Jack had lied to him about Sam's decision to stay with the Rebel Jaffa and treated him like crap after his 'retirement'. He knew it would take time to repair their friendship, especially after some of the things he'd said to Daniel at his place. The fact that Kershaw turned out to be a traitor came as an additional shock and suddenly, SG-1 didn't seem that untouchable anymore.

He nodded and chanced a glance at Daniel, surprised to see understanding – but mixed with hurt – on his face. "Yeah, I was."

"And it was for the good of the planet and our allies. And Sam's safe return."

"Doesn't excuse some of the things I said to you." He wasn't the type to apologize when he was wrong, but he really did value their friendship and didn't want Daniel to think otherwise. "My place was bugged."

"I figured."

"Oh."

"I think the Jaffa are done," Major Davis said all of a sudden, reminding them of his presence. "Let's hope Master Bra'tac is willing to cooperate."

Moac walked over to them, inclining his head. "I must take my leave now and return to the Rebel Jaffa, but I hope we will see each other again soon, my friends."

"Right back atcha," Jack said, clasping his forearm.

" _Tchaȧs_ Bra'tac will take you and Teal'c to the village now. Farewell."

Davis looked uncomfortable and confused when Moac shook his arm, but Daniel had grown used to it and returned the gesture. " _Tai'ma'te_ , Moac."

Moac smiled and turned to the DHD, punching in symbols. " _Tai'ma'te, ȧ_ _ḥeter_."

"Well, I suppose it's time to join Bra'tac and Teal'c," Jack said after Moac was swallowed up by the event horizon.

"The humans on Utcha were once slaves of Apophis," Bra'tac explained, as he led the way towards the village. "A few generations ago, his underlord did not return to Utcha and his remaining Jaffa caused much chaos, death and destruction once their _prim'ta_ matured and required hosts. They have never fully recovered and up to this day they remain wary of visitors, especially Jaffa."

Daniel started asking questions about the Utcha culture and way of life, but Jack zoned out. Instead, he kept scanning their surroundings out of habit. He trusted Bra'tac because of Teal'c, but he wouldn't fully relax until he got to see Sam with his own two eyes.

Eventually, the waist-high grass made way for an open field with some trees here and there. In the distance, small houses were visible and the closer they got, the more signs of life became noticeable. Smoke from a fire, clothing lines, abandoned tools, trodden paths, footprints in the muddy ground, the smells of freshly baked bread and burning meat…

A few children were running around when they neared the village and a teenage boy who was chasing them stopped when he spotted them. " _Sbai Bra'tac, shin tel_?"

"You will wait here," Bra'tac said, "and I will speak to him."

"Sure, go do your thing." Jack watched as the old Jaffa walked up to the boy and started talking to him in Goa'uld. He exchanged looks with Major Davis, who still hadn't gotten used to gate travel if the pained expression on his face was anything to go by. Teal'c and Daniel both seemed to be eavesdropping on the conversation with the teenager.

"From what I can tell the boy is the son of… the Elders, I think," Daniel reported.

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Master Bra'tac is informing him of our arrival so that the youth may relay the news to the rest of the village."

"Well, let's hope that means no hostile reactions. We're here for one thing only and that's to take Captain Carter back to Earth."

"From what Master Bra'tac told us they've been living among these people for a few months now, so I doubt they'd suddenly become violent," Daniel said, shrugging.

Jack saw Major Davis relax and rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to him, Davis. Daniel's an optimist. Teal'c and I are… realists."

"Indeed," Teal'c confirmed. "However, I do not believe there is reason to be alarmed by these people."

"Let's hope so. Still, keep your eyes and ears open, people."

"Yes, Sir," Davis said, tightening his grip on his MP5.

After a few minutes, the teenager ran off and Bra'tac beckoned them over. "Come, I will take you to _shesp't_."

Jack hoped that Sam would be there too, whatever that was. It turned out, though, that _shesp't_ was a polite name for a ramshackle lean-to. Or perhaps it was a half-finished cabin. Either way, it looked kinda sad and tiny. There was a sturdy picnic table in the front and Jack figured that when it was raining, the table would get soaked because there was no wall or shelter, just a small awning. Some heavy cloth was hanging behind it, probably covering doorways to a small living area and bedrooms judging from the size of it.

"Sit," Bra'tac said, gesturing at the table.

Major Davis immediately undid his pack and sat down, reaching into the pack to retrieve a notepad and recorder for the Jaffa's statement.

Daniel sat down on the opposite end, but Teal'c remained on his feet like Jack.

"So," Jack said, looking around and trying to catch a glimpse of what lay behind the curtains. Was Sam inside?

Bra'tac smirked. "You will not find _Sām_ here, O'Neill. She is in the field. You may ask the villagers for directions and locate her, while I speak with Major Davis."

He hated that he was apparently an open book to the old coot, but was more than happy to go look for Sam himself. "Oh, well, if you insist. Daniel, I'm gonna need you to translate… unless Teal'c you want to come with?"

"I do," Teal'c said, inclining his head.

"Um, I want to come, too," Daniel said, getting up again. "I would also love to learn more about the Utcha culture."

Jack rolled his eyes. "What a shocker."

Daniel ignored him and set out to speak to the first villager he could find. There were a bunch around, most of them observing them with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Daniel approached two people who quickly moved away, so he tried again and stepped up to two middle-aged men. "Um, hello. My name is Daniel and we're friends of Captain Carter and Master Bra'tac."

Jack exchanged amused looks with Teal'c when the villagers stared blankly at Daniel.

"Um. _Sām_ and _Sbai_?" He tried again, using the name Bra'tac used for Sam and what the teenager had called Bra'tac. " _Sām_ , _gerg shesp't_?"

" _Nubit Sām_?" One of the men asked, smiling, after Daniel gestured at the cabin.

Daniel blinked and then started nodding enthusiastically. "Uh, yes, _Nubit Sām_. _Kel?_ "

Jack sighed when he and the villagers started rambling in Goa'uld. "Maybe you should step in," he said, looking at Teal'c.

"Daniel Jackson has expressed the desire to become more fluent in Goa'uld. I believe this to be a great opportunity for him."

"Fine, but if we don't have an answer about Captain Carter's whereabouts in the next ten minutes, you're going to take over."

Teal'c smirked, "Very well, O'Neill."

It took six minutes for an enthusiastic Daniel to come back. "It's fascinating! Apparently Sam and Bra'tac saved someone's child when they came here with their… um, ship wreck? I think that's what he said. He probably meant that old ship Bra'tac and Moac used on Hathor's planet. Anyway, they saved the boy and from that moment they were welcomed to the village. They, uh, call her _Nubit Sām_. Nubit is a title that used to be given to goddesses, but doesn't have the negative association most Goa'uld titles have. At first I thought Bra'tac and the others simply mispronounced her name, but _Sām_ actually means gold, inlaid with blue."

"It most likely refers to Captain Carter's physical appearance," Teal'c said.

"Exactly! And, uh, together, _Nubit Sām_ basically means Golden Lady with Blue Eyes."

Jack checked the urge to shake his friend and let out a long-suffering sigh instead. "That's indeed _fascinating_ , Daniel. But did they also tell you where we could find Sam?"

Daniel smirked at his use of her given name and gave him a knowing look, but didn't say anything about it. "Yes, she's working on an aqueduct. Remember what Bra'tac said about the Goa'uld and Jaffa leaving these people to their own devices? Well, they apparently left all their technology behind but no one knew how to use it. Most of it is in disrepair and Sam has been working on fixing the technology to help these people. It's very impressive."

"And, pray tell, _where_ is this aqueduct?"

"Oh!" Daniel smiled sheepishly and gestured towards the east. "That way. They gave me directions, but it shouldn't be difficult to find."

Jack clapped his hands, spirits lifted. "Let's get going then."

Teal'c and Jack wordlessly followed Daniel as he led the way through the village. Many of the natives were staring at them, but it wasn't that unusual for SG-1. They had gotten used to it over the past few years.

Jack smiled when they crossed a muddy field where a bunch of children – toddlers to teens – were playing, many of them covered in the reddish mud and having fun. Kids and dogs were his favorite people and although he hadn't seen any pets or other animals yet, he thought it was a good sign to see happy kids playing outside and being allowed to just be children.

They continued on their way and left the village behind them, entering a small wooded area. Once they'd moved beyond the trees, Daniel spoke again. "It should be about half an hour on foot this way."

He nodded and brushed some beads of sweat from his forehead. The heat was becoming uncomfortable. "Okay, good."

"I believe I can hear streaming water," Teal'c said, after a while.

"It's been about ten minutes," Jack commented after glancing at his watch.

Daniel shrugged and gestured for Teal'c to take point. "We _were_ walking at a brisk pace."

Jack didn't say anything and simply followed the Jaffa until he, too, heard streaming water. It sounded nearby and he quickened his pace, eager to lay eyes on Sam and see for himself that she was still doing fine. "I hear it."

There was some undergrowth and rocks they had to cross, but then they were suddenly standing in front of a man-made aqueduct.

"Voices are coming from over there," Teal'c said, pointing ahead.

It didn't take them long to cross the distance and, after a bend, they found a group of young men and women digging around in the canals. The group was practically cheering, or at least that was what it sounded like to Jack. It took him a moment to realize Sam was crouched down in the canal a few feet away. Her blonde hair caught his eye and made his heart skip a beat.

"Captain Carter? Um, Sam?" Daniel yelled, as he moved among the people.

Jack saw the moment she realized he was calling out for her, a puzzled frown on her face as she got to her feet. She was wearing a stained tunic and pants, standing in about a foot of water. "Sam," he called.

The tools in her hands dropped into the water and she gasped, eyes searching for a familiar face until her gaze connected with his. "Jack."

"Hey there," he said, smirking.

* * *

Shocked, Sam stared at him. She couldn't quite believe he was there, standing just a few feet away with the same smirk on his face that had made her stomach flip that night in DC. "What are you doing here?"

He quirked an eyebrow and gestured to his right. "We came to see if maybe you wanted to come home."

"Um, hello, Sam."

"It is good to see you again, Captain Carter."

She looked to her left and realized Doctor Jackson was waving at her and the Jaffa Teal'c was standing next to him. It must have been his presence she'd sensed a few minutes ago – she'd been too absorbed in her work to realize it wasn't Bra'tac's symbiote she sensed approaching. She opened her mouth to say something, but words wouldn't come. They had come for her? For real, this time? Her eyes found Jack again. "Home?"

"Yeah, home," he repeated.

"I'm not…" Sam frowned, brushing some hair out of her face. "I don't…"

Jack must have realized she was lost for words because suddenly, he was standing in front of her and held out a hand. "C'mere."

She grabbed it and used his hold to pull herself out of the aqueduct. Then, with a small tug on her hand, he pulled her against him. His arms enveloped her and Sam simply closed her eyes, resting her cheek against his shoulder. She let him hold her for a while, until she realized everyone had stopped working and was staring at them. Feeling self-conscious, she pulled away with a shy smile. "You're sure I can go back to Earth?"

"Yeah," he said, holding her gaze. "It's safe."

"Colonel Grieves died at the hands of O'Neill," Teal'c told her, a smile on his face.

Jack was quick to explain at her shocked expression. "In self-defense. He didn't want to surrender. His accomplices weren't so eager to die, though. We took them all into custody for treason against the United States and its allies. Thor also found the device from P3X-425 on their secret off-world base."

Sam barely had the time to process any of the information before Doctor Jackson spoke.

"We brought someone with us. Uh, Major Davis is the liaison from the Pentagon and he's taken Moac's statement already. He's talking to Master Bra'tac right now. It's just a formality at this point, though."

"He's right," Jack said. "Hammond, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the United States have met and gone over Grieves' initial statement and the evidence we collected at the time. You were cleared of any wrongdoing and they have guaranteed you will be allowed to live your life the way you want on Earth. They won't subject you to medical experiments or anything because of what happened with Herit."

Overwhelmed, she just stared at them for a moment. "You're saying…"

"We're saying you can come home, Sam," Jack said when her voice trailed off. "It's safe, I promise."

She found herself nodding, even though she had no idea what to say. But going home had been the goal, right? She'd been so focused on pulling through and keeping Ife safe that she had no idea what to do now. "Oh."

Doctor Jackson smiled at her as he came closer. "This must be overwhelming for you. Um, maybe we should go back to the village? That way you can have some time to process everything and talk to Master Bra'tac."

"Uh, yes," she said, "I'd like that."

"Are you okay, Sam?"

She caught Jack's concerned gaze and tried to reassure him with a small smile. It probably came out more like a grimace. "Yeah. I'm just… surprised."

"Bra'tac thought it best not to tell you we were coming in case we couldn't make it," he said.

"That's… it's okay. I just need a moment."

He frowned but stepped aside anyway, gesturing for her to lead the way back to the village. "Of course."

She trusted him, she really did or she wouldn't have put all her faith in him making it possible for her to return home. But somehow, she'd never allowed herself to think beyond that. Sure, she'd told Ife all about what their lives would be like on Earth, but it had been a fantasy. Not something tangible. Frowning against the bright sun, she started walking and idly wondered how Bra'tac felt about her and Ife leaving.

Ife!

"Sam?"

Looking up at Jack's inquiry, she realized she'd stopped walking. How was she going to tell him about Ife, their daughter? "I'm fine… just, thinking."

He looked like he didn't quite believe her but let it go, giving her a gentle push in the direction of the village. "Okay. Let's keep going."

"So, um, how are we going to do this?"

"Easy, you're gonna pack up your things and say your goodbyes. Then, we'll dial Earth, send our IDC and step through the gate."

It was hard to believe that was all there was to it. After so long… God, she didn't even know precisely how long it had been, but it certainly felt like a lifetime ago since she left Earth. And now, she was just supposed to step through the gate and be welcomed with open arms on the other end?

Jack placed a hand on her arm to stop her again and waited until Doctor Jackson and Teal'c were a few feet ahead of them before he spoke. "I know it sounds crazy, but I promise you it'll be all right. No one is going to stop or arrest you. There'll be the standard medical exam to make sure you're healthy, but after you've been cleared you're free to go."

"I know," she said. "It's just… hard to believe, you know?"

"Yeah."

"It's been so long… I-I," she sighed and tried again. "I almost gave up. I didn't think I'd ever go back."

He squeezed her shoulder, "I know."

"It's just a shock."

"Um, guys?" Doctor Jackson called out from where he was standing about fifty meters ahead. "Are you coming?"

She smiled at Jack and gave herself a mental shake. "He's a bit impatient, isn't he?"

He chuckled softly, "Oh, you have no idea. I'll bet he's just eager to hear your debrief. He was already chatting to some of the natives in the village to learn more about their culture… We're coming, Daniel!"

They joined the two of them and together, the foursome continued on their way to the village in a companionable silence. Sam didn't know what was going through the heads of the three men but she couldn't stop thinking about Ife and Jack. How would he react? Would he be able to tell she was his? She snuck a few glances at him as they walked, comparing his features to that of her – their – daughter, but had to admit Ife was starting to resemble her more lately. When she'd been a little baby, Ife looked just like Jack – perhaps that was what Bra'tac's comments had been based on – but she had Sam's face, eyes and nose now.

"Where to now? Your, um, house, Sam?" Doctor Jackson looked at her with wide eyes. "That's where we left Master Bra'tac and Major Davis."

"Sure." She didn't have a lot of belongings and the few things she did have weren't worth bringing back home. All that mattered was Ife, but she was playing with the other kids. "Oh. I have some journals," she said, "I should take those with me. I'm sure you'd like to read about some of the cultures we've encountered."

His whole face lit up at the prospect and it reminded her of the enthusiastic man she'd been in contact with back at the Pentagon. "That'd be great. I'd love to. I had no idea you were keeping a journal. I used to keep journals of our early missions too, but after I 'died' Jack told me I wasn't allowed to anymore."

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, I told you you weren't allowed to take classified material home with you anymore. All those journals with extensive details about our missions were in the bookcase in your apartment, for crying out loud!"

Sam chuckled at their banter and could tell they were good friends. "I'll go pack my things now."

"Do you need any help?"

"No," she shook her head at Jack's offer, "thanks."

He looked like he wanted to insist, but before he could say anything Bra'tac came their way, followed by a man wearing the same outfit as the men on SG-1.

"Master Bra'tac has given his statement and signed an affidavit, Sir," the man said.

"Ah, good. Sam, this is Major Davis. Davis, this is Captain Carter."

"It's an honor to meet you, Captain," the Major said.

Sam nodded in acknowledgment, but she was a bit thrown by the mention of her rank. It had been ages since she felt like an officer in the Air Force. Oh, and she hadn't once acknowledged Jack's rank and just kept calling him by his given name… "Um, yes, Sir."

"I'm sure Colonel O'Neill has already told you this, but no charges will be filed against you and you will be reinstated if you want, assuming you pass your physicals and psych eval."

"I… I should pack up my things," she said, before turning on her heel and running to her house. Reinstated? She had no idea if she wanted to remain involved in the Air Force, never mind the SGC.

Packing up only took a few minutes. She put everything of importance – her journals, the GDO, Ife's doll, her comb, the Goa'uld hand and healing devices and the fur coat and pelt Bra'tac had made for her – in her bag and still had room to spare. Instead of returning to Jack and the others though, she sat down on her bed and looked around the place that had been home for the past couple of months.

It was there that Bra'tac found her a little while later. He kneeled in front of her and tipped up her chin with his finger. "He came for you and now it is time to go home, _Sām_."

"But I-"

"No," he said curtly. "You do not belong here, _Sām._ You will take _sefi_ and take her home."

Sam nodded and got to her feet, suddenly overcome with emotion when she looked at him. "What about you?"

Bra'tac smirked and cupped her cheeks. "Do not concern yourself with an old warrior like me."

"I can't just leave you here."

"Your spirit and strength convinced me it was time to renounce the false gods, _Sām_. You have shown me what true freedom and courage is and with your help, we built a Jaffa Rebellion. Soon, my people will learn what it means to be free, as well. For that, I am grateful."

She wiped at her teary eyes and gave him a watery smile. "I don't know how to repay you for everything you have done for me and Ife."

"There is no need. But now, you have no need for me anymore. However, it is _sefi_ who needs you and her father. Go, it is time." He finished by pressing a kiss to her forehead and then he turned around and left.

Taking a deep breath, Sam tried to control her tumultuous emotions. She grabbed her bag, steeled herself and left the hut for the final time.

Jack was waiting for her, his teammates standing a few feet behind him with Bra'tac. "You okay, Sam?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, sniffling. There was no denying Bra'tac was right. She didn't need him anymore and had to take her daughter home, to give her the childhood she deserved. It was time to get Ife… "I'll be right back."

"Stay, O'Neill," Bra'tac said somewhere behind her.

She cast a glance over her shoulder and was relieved to see Bra'tac holding a concerned-looking Jack back. It only took her a few minutes to reach the playground where Ife was being watched by the older kids. She stopped and watched her daughter for a moment. Ife was happy or at least content, but Sam knew that was simply because she was too young to know any better. Earth would be a safer place for her to grow up, with more possibilities and challenges, and, more importantly, her father.

Ife immediately turned to her when she came closer. "Momma!"

"Hey sweetie," she said, picking her up. "It's time to go home."

"Home?"

"Earth," she said, hugging her tightly.

Ife blinked up at her with big blue eyes. " _Sbai_?"

Sam smiled sadly and shook her head. "No, Master Bra'tac won't be coming with us."

Ife probably didn't understand what it meant, because she simply wrapped her little arms around Sam's neck and rested her face in the crook of her neck.

Walking back to where she had left Jack and the others felt like one of the hardest things she'd done, but Sam knew there was no way around it. She kept telling herself it didn't matter what he thought because she and Ife had done fine on their own – with Bra'tac – so far and they didn't really _need_ him. But she knew that although turbulent, her own relationship with her dad was one of the most important ones in her life. She wanted that for her daughter, too.

Sam knew the moment when the guys had spotted her because Doctor Jackson was gaping at her, Teal'c looked mildly perturbed, Major Davis looked nonplussed and Jack… well, he was pretty much unreadable. His face was a strange blank mask but his gaze was locked on the back of Ife's head.

The last few feet felt like an impossible distance to cross but eventually she made it. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she tried to not be too obvious about gauging Jack's reaction to the girl in her arms.

"Wow," Doctor Jackson said, "I had no idea you had a baby, Sam."

"Indeed."

She ignored them and plastered a smile on her face. "I'm good to go, now."

Bra'tac eyed them for a moment, before breaking the sudden silence. "I will accompany you to the _chaapa'ai_."

"Thank you."

His words seemed to move two of the members of SG-1 into gear as Doctor Jackson, Major Davis and Teal'c headed into the direction of the stargate, with Teal'c explaining how _sa't_ both meant daughter and ship wreck. Jack, however, seemed frozen to the spot.

" _Sām_?" Bra'tac inquired after throwing a dark glare at Jack.

She moved to follow him, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She bit her lip as she looked up at Jack's dark eyes. "Yes?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and lifted his hand, hesitantly reaching for Ife. "What's, um, what's her name? It's a girl, right?"

"Her name is Ife," she said softly.

A smile appeared on his face as he canted his head and caressed Ife's cheek. "Hey there, munchkin. Looks like you're pretty comfortable there in your Mommy's arms." He turned his attention to Sam, the smile still in place. "You want me to carry your bag?"

Sam couldn't believe the relief she felt over his ready acceptance of Ife. Of course, he probably had no idea about her paternity… "Uh, no. It's fine. You have a heavy pack of your own."

"True, but I'd say your cargo is a bit more precious," he said. "Don't you agree, Ife?"

To Sam's surprise, Ife shyly turned her face away. "Don't take it personally," she was quick to say when she saw Jack's smile disappear. "She's not used to, um, strangers. It's…"

"Don't worry about it, Sam," Jack said. "She's just a baby, what does she know? Trust me, she'll like me when she gets to know me."

"Yeah?"

"Kids love Jack," Doctor Jackson said when they reached the DHD. "Probably because he acts their age."

Jack threw his teammate a glare but didn't reply. "So, are you ready to return home, Sam?"

She eyed the stargate and took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Dial 'er up, Daniel."

Teal'c and Bra'tac quietly said their goodbyes a few feet away while Daniel dialed Earth. Jack sent the IDC after the gate activated but held up his hands to forestall anyone from stepping up. He thumbed his radio and contacted the SGC. "General Hammond, this is SG-1-niner. There's a slight change in plans… Captain Carter is bringing someone else along."

There was a bit of static before an "Understood, Colonel" came through.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, go ahead Daniel. You too, Davis."

" _Tal'ma'te,_ _Tchaȧs Bra'tac_ ," Teal'c said, clasping his mentor's forearm and inclining his head in respect.

" _Tal'ma'te, Teal'c_." Bra'tac waited until Teal'c disappeared into the event horizon before he walked over to Sam. " _Tal'ma'te,_ _Sām, sefi_ ," he said, caressing Sam's cheek first and then leaning forward to kiss Ife's cheek.

Jack must have sensed her indecision, because he suddenly reached for Ife. "I'll take her," he said.

Sam let him and, once he'd lifted their daughter, wrapped her arms around Bra'tac and hugged him tightly, much to the Jaffa's surprise. "Thank you for everything. Don't be a stranger," she added, as she pulled back.

"Take care of yourself and _sefi_ , Captain Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force," he said.

"I will," she promised, with a tremulous smile. Then, she turned to Jack and held out her arms for her daughter. "I'll take her."

Jack handed her over, smiling when Ife immediately reached for Sam with her little arms. "Ready?"

She took one last look at Bra'tac, who gave her an encouraging nod, and smiled. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go home."

"Try not to get yourself killed, Bra'tac," Jack said, as he shook his forearm.

"And you, O'Neill."

Sam waited until Jack was back at her side and then they made their way up the stone steps of the stargate.

"Nervous?"

She shook her head. "We've been going through the gate since before she was born and I've wanted to go back home even longer."

"Good."

They entered the wormhole and less than a second later, they exited onto the ramp in the SGC. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but then she saw all the airmen lined up in the gate room, with General Hammond on the forefront.

"Welcome home, Captain Carter."

The End…

* * *

 **A/N:** That was quite the journey, but our favorite ship has been reunited! I'm working on the final fic in this series and hope to be back in a few weeks with the story about Sam, Jack and Ife adjusting to life on Earth and getting to know each other. Keep an eye on my twitter (at femsuii) for teasers and such of 'Only the Chosen Survived'. Also, for those interested, make sure to check out the timeline I created for this series (link on my profile). Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story!


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